Isolated
by HermioneMaggieJareau
Summary: After being placed in fostercare by Hotch, Jack is abused by his fostermom. Takes place after Haley's death. Sorry I'm not very good at summaries. Hope you enjoy the story.
1. Chapter 1 You Always Win

Description: In this chapter Hotch asks Jack if he wants him to go back to work or not.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this chapter.

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><p>"Everything is something you decide to do, and there is nothing you have to do." ~Dennis Waitley<p>

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><p>It's early Saturday morning and Jack is sitting at the kitchen table in his dad's apartment, looking at a picture of himself and Haley. He is still in his Captain America pajamas. Ever since George Foyet had murdered Haley two weeks ago, Jack hasn't been able to sleep very well. Even though he was hiding and didn't see anything, he had heard everything that day. Jack hasn't cried for his mom, yet and because of that, he believes it's his fault that she's dead.<p>

"Hey buddy, what are you doing up so early? It's five thirty in the morning." A tired Hotch said as he walked into the kitchen and sat in the chair next to Jack.

"Hi daddy. I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you up? If I did, I'm sorry." Jack said.

"It's okay. How long have you been up?"

"I think since three."

Hotch notices the picture in front of Jack.

"What are you doing with that?" He asked.

"Do you think mommy is mad at me?" Jack asked, not answering Hotch's questioned.

"No, of course not. Why would you ask that?" Hotch asked, shocked.

"Jack, if you hadn't have been hiding that day, you would have died too. You were the most important thing in your mommy's life and you still are. She loved more than anything in this world. If she had to go through that day again, I don't think she would change anything. She died, protecting you. Not everybody cries when someone they love dies, but that doesn't mean they're bad people. And there is nothing you could do that would make me or your mommy mad at you. Do you understand?"

"Yes daddy, I understand. Can I keep this picture in my room? It's my favorite one."

"Sure. Do you want me to fix you something for breakfast?" Hotch asked.

Jack thought for a few seconds.

"Can I have some chocolate chip waffles, please?"

"If that's what you want, then that's what I'll cook for you."

"Thanks daddy. I'm going to put this picture in my room." Jack said as he stood up.

"Okay the waffles should be done in about five minutes." Hotch said.

"Okay I'll be right back." Jack said as he walked toward his room with the picture. When he got to his room, he placed the picture on the dresser next to his bed.

Fifteen minutes later…

It's still dark outside. The sun probably won't rise until at least another hour. Hotch and Jack are at the kitchen table, eating chocolate chip waffles. Hotch has just finished his fifth one and Jack is working on his third one. They are both still in their pajamas.

"Are you going to eat anymore waffles?" Jack asked.

"No, five waffles are enough for me. Do you want anymore?" Hotch asked.

"Can I have three more, please?"

"Are you sure you can eat that much?"

"I don't know. I have never eaten six waffles before. I guess I'll just have to try it."

Hotch smiled at his son.

"Okay if you want three more waffles, then you can have three more waffles." Hotch said.

"Thank you, daddy." Jack said.

Three hours later…

Jack has finally gotten dressed. He is wearing blue jeans, a green sweater and blue socks. He is sitting on the living room couch, watching cartoons. Hotch walks into the room and sits down next to him. He is also dressed. He is wearing blue jeans and a red sweater.

"What are you watching?" Hotch asked.

"Cartoons." Jack simply answered. "Are you ever going to go back to work?"

"I don't know. What do you think I should do?"

Jack thought for a few seconds.

"I think you should go back."

"Why do you think I should go back?'

"Because you always win and if you don't go back, then the bad guys will win and nobody will be safe." Jack explained.

"Jack, I think it's very nice of you to think of other's besides yourself. But you do realize that if I go back to work, we won't see each other very often, don't you?" Hotch asked.

"Yes I know that and I'll be okay. So will you daddy. We'll still get to see each other. I just don't want the bad guys to win."

"Is that what you really want me to do? Do you really want me to go back to work? Because Mrs. Strauss said I didn't have to go back and that I could retire."

"Yes that is what I want. You have to go back. You have to keep everyone safe. You just have to go back. Don't let the bad guys win." Jack begged.

"Alright Jack, calm down. I'll go back to work. I just need to find a place for you to stay because you can't stay here by yourself." Hotch explained.

"Don't worry daddy. We'll find someone. Can we go to the park today?"

"Sure, when do you want to go?"

Jack thought for a few seconds.

"I want to go after lunch." Jack answered.

"Okay then."

Hotch steps out of the room and makes a quick phone call.

"Hey it's me, Aaron. Do you think you can meet me at the park around 12:30 or 1:-00 today? I really need to talk to you. Okay thank you. I'll see you there."

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><p>End of chapter one. Please tell me what you thought. Chapter two will be up soon.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2 Real Life Superhero

Description: Hotch talks to Rossi at the park.

Disclaimer:I only own the mother and two daughters in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away." ~Thomas Fuller<p>

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><p>Jack and Hotch are at the park. Jack is playing on the slide and Hotch is sitting on the bench, watching him. Rossi walks up and sits next to him.<p>

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Rossi asked.

"Sure is." Hotch said.

"How have you and Jack been?"

"I'm fine, but I don't think Jack is. He hasn't been sleeping very well since Haley died. I don't know, I just don't think he's okay."

"Maybe Jack thinks the same thing about you. Have you decided if you're going back to work or not?"

"Jack told me that I have to go back. He believes that if I don't go back, then the bad guys will win."

Rossi noticed that Hotch looked worried.

"You don't seem too happy about any of this." Rossi stated.

"Jack says we're going to be alright, but I'm not sure if that's true. It just seems that if I go back, then I'm abandoning Jack." Hotch explained.

"I agree with Jack." Rossi said.

"Oh come on Dave. You and the team don't need me to help catch the bad guys. You guys have been doing fine without me."

"I know that, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Jack telling you that you're both going to be alright. He's right about that. And there's nothing wrong with him believing that only you can catch the bad guys. He's see's you as a real life superhero."

"I just don't want him to think that I'm a failure." Hotch said.

"Why would Jack think that you're a failure?" Rossi asked.

"Because I couldn't save Haley."

"But you saved Jack. I bet that if Haley could be here today, she would tell that she's proud of you. Jack knows that you're not a failure."

Hotch is quiet for a few minutes.

"I'm going to have to find someone to take care of Jack, while I'm working. He's too young to stay by himself."

"Yeah, I hear there's a law against leaving a child home alone. If Jack was a genius like Reid, then maybe he can work for the B.A.U. He would be the youngest person ever to work at the Quantico." Rossi jokingly said.

"Jack is smart, but I don't think anyone is smarter than Reid. Not even Albert Einstein." Hotch said with a small laugh.

Meanwhile with Jack…

Jack is now sitting on a swing at the swing set. There are six swings there, but four of them are broken. So only two children can play on the swing set at a time and Jack is one of these children. A few minutes later, two little girls show up at the swing set. One of the girls has light blue eyes and long auburn hair. She is about seven years old. The other little girl also has light blue eyes, but long wavy blonde hair. She is around Jack's age. They are both wearing pink dresses with black stockings and white shoes. The seven year old sits on the swing next to Jack.

"Hey get up, so my sister can have that swing."

"No I was here first." Jack said.

"Well I want to swing too!" The five year old whined.

"When I'm done with the swing, you can have it, okay?" Jack asked.

"No, it's not okay! Sally wants to swing now!" The seven year old shouted.

"It's not going to hurt her to wait. And why are you dressed the same?"

"We like to dress the same. Now get up." Sally demanded.

Jack just sat there. Both girls are now standing in front of Jack and are throwing gravel at him.

"Hey stop that!" Jack shouted as he covered his face.

Hotch notices this and runs over there. Rossi is still sitting on the bench.

"What's going on here?' Jack are you okay?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah I'm okay daddy. They were throwing gravel at me because I wouldn't let her have this swing." Jack said, pointing at Sally.

"That wasn't very nice, but I think maybe you should let her have the swing. Okay?" Hotch asked.

"Okay daddy." Jack said as he got off the swing and looked at Sally. "Here, you can have the swing now."

A young woman with short dark blonde hair and blue eyes walks up to all them.

"Excuse me, I'm these girls mother. Is everything okay here?" The woman asked, concerned.

"My son and they were having a little argument over the swing. I think your youngest daughter wanted the swing that my son was sitting on. And when he wouldn't let her have it, they started throwing gravel at him. But he decided to let her have the swing. I think everything is okay now." Hotch said.

The woman looked at the two girls.

"Zoey and Sally, you girls need to apologize."

"We're sorry." The girls said to Jack.

"That's okay." Jack said.

"And Sally, you need to tell him thank you for letting you have the swing." The woman said.

"Thank you for letting me have the swing." Sally said.

"You're welcome." Jack said.

The woman turned back to Hotch.

"I'm really sorry about Zoey and Sally. They're always demanding. My husband and I drove down here from Minnesota to visit his parents for the weekend. The girls think that just because we're only here for a few days, they can get away with things."

"Oh that's alright. Jack can always play on the swing another time. It was nice talking to you. Hope you enjoy your weekend here."

"Thank you and it was nice talking to you too."

Hotch picked up Jack and walked back over to where Rossi is sitting. Rossi noticed that Jack looked sad.

"Hello Jack. Why do you look sad? This is a park. Kids are supposed to be happy when they go to the park, not sad."

"Hello David. I'm sad because I wanted to play on the swing, but daddy told me to let those mean girls have it. I don't think I should have let them have the swing because they were throwing gravel at me." Jack sadly said.

"Well they shouldn't have been throwing gravel at you, but I think your daddy is right. You should always let the girls go first."

"I guess you're right, David." Jack said, still sounding sad.

Rossi noticed that Jack was still sad, so he decided to try to cheer him up.

"Hey Jack, guess what I saw down the street from here." Rossi said.

"What did you see?" Jack asked, sounding interested.

"I saw an ice cream shop. Do you want to get some ice cream?"

"Jack is now happy.

"Yeah!" Jack said, excited.

"Okay but don't tell your dad. I don't think he would want you to have any ice cream." Rossi jokingly said.

"Uh Rossi, you do realize that I can hear every word you're saying. Don't you?" Hotch asked.

"Looks like we have been caught, Jack. I guess you'll have to ask your dad."

"Daddy, can we please get some ice cream?" Jack asked.

"Yeah Aaron, can we please get some ice cream? Don't make us beg." Rossi said.

"Well since Dave really wants some ice cream, I guess we can get some." Hotch said to Jack with a smile.

"I knew that would work." Rossi said as he took Jack from Hotch. "Jack, I think you should drive."

"I really don't think that's a great idea Dave." Hotch said with a laugh.

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><p>End of chapter two. Please review. Chapter three will be up soon.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3 Too Painful

Description: Hotch asks Jessica to take care of Jack while he is working.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this chapter is mine.

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><p>"Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted." ~Paul Pearshall<p>

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><p>It's Monday afternoon, Jack is in school and Hotch is driving to Jessica's house.<p>

Meanwhile at Jessica's house…

Jessica is in an empty room, painting the walls a lime green color. The room will soon become an office space for her.

"Dammit, I just bought this shirt." Jessica said to herself as she accidently got too close to the wall and got paint on the center of her purple blouse.

"Oh well, I guess that's what I get for wearing a brand new shirt while I'm painting."

The doorbell rings and Jessica runs to the door to see who's there. When she opens the door, she sees a familiar face.

"Aaron, hi. What brings you here? Please come on in." Jessica said.

"Hi Jessica. What's with the paint on your shirt? Is that like a new fashion trend of something?" Hotch asked, noticing the paint on her shirt.

"Oh no. It's definitely not a new fashion trend. I'm painting my office space, and I accidently got paint on my shirt. It's funny how old shirts can never get ruined, but it's very easy to ruin brand new ones." Jessica said with a laugh.

"Yeah I've also noticed that. Can I talk to you about something?" Hotch asked.

"Sure, can I get you some coffee or something?"

"No thanks. I have decided to go back to work, and I was wondering if you can take care of Jack while I'm away."

"I can't do that."

"But he's your nephew. Why can't you take care of him?" Hotch asked, confused.

"Aaron, you know that I love Jack. But we just lost Haley a couple of weeks ago, and Jack looks so much like Haley. And I just can't have that kind of constant reminder around me." Jessica said, sounding upset.

"I don't understand."

"It's just too painful. Can't you get your brother, Sean to take care of him instead? I mean he is Jack's family too."

"Sean lives in New York. I would rather have my son stay in this state. And seeing that you're the only other blood relative living here, I want Jack to stay with you. New York is just too far." Hotch explained.

"Well I'm sorry, but I'm just not the right person for that kind of job. I hope you understand." Jessica said.

Hotch was quiet for a few minutes.

"Jessica, I'm not going to lie to you. Because I really don't understand. I may understand later, but right now, I just don't. He's your family and you refuse to be around him."

"Aaron, please leave." Jessica said, upset.

"Alright, I'm sorry for upsetting you. I won't bother you again. Have a nice day." Hotch said as he walked out the door.

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><p>End of chapter three. I'm really sorry it's short. I promise the next few chapters will be longer. Please review. Chapter four will be up soon.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4 The Other Option

Description: Hotch decides to place Jack in foster care.

Disclaimer: I only own Vanessa Hanley in this chapter.

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><p>"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." ~Edward Vernon Rickenbacker<p>

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><p>It's 3:45 pm on Monday and Jack and Hotch are arriving home from school. As soon as they get inside their apartment, Jack drops his backpack right in the middle of the floor and runs to his room. Hotch nearly trips over the bag.<p>

"Jack, come here please." Hotch calmly said.

Jack walked back over to where Hotch is standing.

"Yes daddy?" Jack asked.

"I know you didn't mean to, but you left your book bag lying in the middle of the floor. And I nearly tripped over it." Hotch said.

"I'm sorry daddy. I'll go put it in my room. Are you okay?" Jack asked as he picked up the backpack.

"I'm fine. Now, go take your backpack to your room and go play. I have to call someone."

"Okay daddy." Jack said as he walked to his bedroom.

Hotch waited until Jack was out of site. When he knew that Jack wasn't close by, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Child Services, how may we help you?" A voice on the other end of the phone line asked.

"Hi, my name is Aaron Hotchner and I would like to place my son in… foster care. I'm sorry." Hotch said as his voice began to crack and he broke down in tears.

The person on the other end of the phone line waited a few moments before speaking.

"It's okay sir. I know this may be difficult for you. And it is for a lot of parents, whether they volunteer to place their children into foster care or not. Can you please tell me why you are volunteering to place your son into foster care? Are you abusive towards him?" The voice asked.

"Oh no, it's nothing like that. My ex wife died recently and we have a five year old son together. I have decided to go back to work and I don't have any relatives close by who can take care of my son. My job requires me to travel every so often and that can be very difficult for my son. I'm a Supervisory Special Agent. I want my son to stay in the Washington D.C. area in Virginia. So I was wondering if you could help me find a foster family for my son." Hotch asked.

"Yes I can help you with that sir. That's what I'm here for. Just give me a moment to check the database."

"Alright thank you." Hotch said.

"Hotch waited in silence as the caseworker searched the database.

"Okay sir, I have some good news and I have some bad news. I'll start with the bad news. The bad news is that all foster care homes in the Washington D.C. area are currently full. The good news is that there is a lady in Emberson, Virginia, who would like to become a foster care parent. Emberson is only about a two hour drive from where you are. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes that's alright with me."

"If you would like to, I could set up an appointment for you and your son to meet this woman."

"Yes I would like to do that. When can we meet her?" Hotch asked.

"Well, why don't you and your son come over here, Wednesday morning at 9:30 and we can try to set up a meeting with her? Is that okay with you?"

"Yes it is. What is your name?"

"Oh I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you my name. My name is Vanessa Hanley"

"Okay thank you and I'll see you Wednesday. Have a good afternoon." Hotch said as he hung up the phone.

Hotch walked into Jack's room and saw that he was playing with two of his action figures. Jack looked up and saw him.

"Hi daddy." Jack said.

"Hey buddy, what are doing?" Hotch asked.

"I'm playing with my action figures. Do you want to play too?"

"Maybe later. Can I talk to you for a few minutes about something?" Hotch asked.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Jack asked.

Hotch sat down on the floor across from his son.

"Jack, when you were in school today, I went over to Aunt Jessica's house and talked to her about taking care of you, while I'm gone."

"What did she say?" Jack asked.

"She said that she loves you very much, but she won't be able to take care of you." Hotch said.

He didn't want to tell Jack the whole reason why Jessica won't take care of him.

"Oh." Jack said, disappointed.

"I'm sorry Jack, but there's another option."

"That's okay daddy. What's the other option?"

"Foster care is the only other option. If you don't want me to go back to work, then I won't."

Jack was quiet for a few seconds.

"No, I want you to go back to work. I can go to foster care. Everything is going to be okay daddy." Jack said, reassuring Hotch.

"Jack, I'm glad you see the positive side of things. Wednesday, we'll get to meet the lady who will be taking care of you, while I'm gone."

"I hope she's a nice lady."

"So do I. Do you still want to play with your action figures?"

"Yeah, I'll be Captain America and you can be Wolverine." Jack said as he handed Hotch the Wolverine toy.

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><p>End of chapter four. Please review. Chapter five will be up soon.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5 The Meeting

Description: Hotch and Jack meet the lady who may become Jack's foster parent.

Disclaimer: I only own the child care serives people and Brenda Harlow in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment unless you trust enough." ~Frank Crane<p>

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><p>It's 925 in the morning on Wednesday and Hotch and Jack are walking into the Child Care Services building. They are met by an older woman with grey hair and light brown eyes. She is wearing a yellow business skirt with a yellow matching top, and yellow heels. Her hair is twisted in a bun. She seems like a really nice lady.<p>

"Good morning. Can I help you with something?" The lady asked.

"Hi I'm Aaron Hotchner and this is my son, Jack Hotchner. We're supposed to meet with Vanessa Hanley at 9:30 today. Do you know where we can find her?"

"Yes, she's on the third floor. Her office is the first door on the left."

"Thank you." Hotch said as he picked up Jack and walked towards the elevator.

"You're welcome." The lady called after them.

When Hotch and Jack entered Vanessa's office, they met a middle aged woman with light brown hair and light green eyes. She is wearing black dress pants, with a white buttoned blouse and black heels.

"Hi can I help you with something?" The lady asked.

"Are you Vanessa Hanley?"

"Yes I am, and who are you?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm Aaron Hotchner. I spoke with you on the phone a couple of days ago."

"Oh yes, I remember you. Please come in and have a seat. And what's your name, sweetie?" Vanessa asked Jack.

"Jack Hotchner." Jack said, shyly.

"It's very nice to meet you. Do you know why you are here?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes my daddy needs someone to take care of me while he's working. And foster care is the only option." Jack explained.

"I see you've explained everything to him." Vanessa said to Hotch.

"Yeah, I thought he had the right to know." Hotch said.

"And I agree with you. I am very glad you talked to him about it." Vanessa said.

Hotch felt Jack tugging on his sleeve.

"What is it Jack?" Hotch asked.

"I'm bored. I want to go play." Jack said.

"Not now Jack. We'll play later, okay?" Hotch asked.

"We do have a game room here for the children. If Jack would like to and if it's alright with you, he could go in there and play while we talk." Vanessa offered.

"Is that okay with you, Jack?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah." Jack said.

"Where is the game room?" Hotch asked.

"Well, just right down the hall from here, there is a young woman sitting at a desk. She has light red hair that is pulled back into a pony tail and her name is Kiara Mullens. Just tell her that Jack wants to go to the game room and she'll take him." Vanessa explained.

"Thank you. I'll be back in a few minutes." Hotch said as he took Jack out of the room.

When Hotch and Jack got down to the hall, they saw a girl that fit the description of Kiara Mullens.

"Excuse me, are you Kiara Mullens?" Hotch asked.

"Yes I am. Can I help you with something?" Kiara asked.

"My son Jack would like to go to the game room and Vanessa Hanley told us that you would take him there." Hotch said.

"I can do that. Come on sweetie." Kiara said as she held her hand out for Jack.

Jack looked up at Hotch with a worried look.

"It's okay Jack. You don't have to be afraid. You can go with her." Hotch said.

Jack to Kiara's hand and was no longer afraid. Kiara led him into the direction of the game room.

"Behave Jack and have fun." Hotch called after him.

Jack turned around and waved to Hotch.

Five minutes later…

Hotch is back in Vanessa's office and they are discussing the foster care system.

"The lady that will be taking care of Jack is named Brenda Harlow. She is a thirty eight year old single mother of five children. She has been divorced for three years now. She has never been a foster parent, but seeing that she has children of her own, I don't think you have anything to worry about. She is very well liked in the community of Emberson. The children are all kept clean and neatly dressed and they are healthy. Brenda and the children always attend church every Sunday morning. Whenever the community needs help, the Harlow's are always the first to volunteer." Vanessa explained.

"They seem like a really nice family. Can I ask you a couple of questions?" Hotch asked.

"Sure." Vanessa said.

"Will I be able to visit my son?"

"Of course, you can visit your son anytime you want."

"Do you think my son will hate me for this?"

"I really don't have a direct answer for that. Every child reacts differently in this type of situation. Some are scared, angry, confused, and some are more understanding about it. Your son seems to be more understanding about it, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. So are you ready to meet Brenda Harlow?" Vanessa asked.

"I guess I am. I'll go get my son." Hotch said.

"Okay we'll take my car." Vanessa said.

Two hour later…

Vanessa, Hotch and Jack have arrived at a large two story house. It is the home of Brenda Harlow. Vanessa rings the doorbell. A woman with short chestnut brown hair and dark green eyes answers the door. She is wearing a pair of blue jeans and an orange sweater. She recognizes Vanessa. They met yesterday.

"Mrs. Hanley, it's nice to see you here again." Brenda said.

"Hello Miss Harlow. This is Aaron Hotchner and his son, Jack Hotchner."

"Very nice to meet you both. Won't you all please come in?" Brenda asked with a smile.

The three of them walked into the house. The house is very clean inside. It almost looks like a museum.

"So where should we talk?" Brenda asked.

"Anywhere is fine with us." Vanessa said.

"Let's go talk in the living room, then." Brenda said.

The four of them walked into the living room and sat down.

"As you now know, Aaron will be leaving his son Jack in your care, while he works. And he would like to ask you a few questions. Is that alright with you?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes of course it is. I'll answer any questions you have." Brenda said.

"Actually I just have one question. Will my son be safe here?" Hotch asked.

"Yes he will be safe here. I have five children of my own and they have never been injured in any way. I promise you that nothing will happen to your son."

"Thank you, that's all I wanted to know."

"Miss. Harlow, do you have a room set up for Jack, yet?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes I do. He'll have to share a room with my son Lucas. He's also five years old. Is that alright with you?" Brenda asked Jack.

Jack just shook his head, "yes."

"Jack, you need to answer her, okay?" Hotch said.

"Okay daddy. Yes I'm okay with that, Miss Harlow." Jack said.

"He's kind of shy." Hotch said.

"That's alright. He's probably just scared. Would you like to see the room?" Brenda asked.

"Yes please." Jack said.

The four of them go up stairs and enter a room. It is clearly a child's bedroom. The dark blue wall has race cars painted on it. The bed looks like a race car. Even the toy box is a race car.

"Lucas loves race cars. What do you like Jack?" Brenda asked.

"I like super heroes." Jack answered.

"Alright then, we'll paint superheroes on your side of the room and buy you a super hero themed bed." Brenda said.

"Doesn't that sound really cool, Jack?" Hotch asked.

"Yep." Jack said.

"Mr. Hotchner, when will you be returning back to work?" Brenda asked.

"I plan on returning Monday afternoon. So I'll probably bring Jack here early that morning. Is 9:30 in the morning okay for you?" Hotch asked.

"Sure, I'll be awake. Would you like Jack to attend his regular school or can he go to school here?"

"Jack, are you okay with going to school here?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, I'm okay with that." Jack said.

"I'll call the school tomorrow and enroll him." Hotch said to Brenda.

"We better go now. I have a meeting in half an hour." Vanessa said.

"Okay, thanks for everything, Miss Harlow." Hotch said.

"You're welcome. Would you like a cookie, sweetie?" Brenda asked Jack.

"Yes." Jack said.

"Let me go get one from the kitchen." Brenda said as she walked out the room. A few minutes later, she returns with a chocolate chip cookie and hands it to Jack.

"Jack, what do you say?" Hotch asked.

"Thank you, Miss Harlow." Jack said.

"You're welcome." Brenda said.

"Are you ready to go now, Jack?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, nice meeting you, Miss Harlow." Jack said.

"It was nice meeting you too." Brenda said.

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><p>End of chapter five. Please review. Chapter six will be up soon.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6 Jack's New Home

Description: Jack is placed into foster care and also meets his foster siblings.

Disclaimer: I only own the Harlow family in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"To die and part is a less evil; but to part and live, there, there is the torment." ~George Lansdowne<p>

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><p>It's Monday morning and Hotch and Jack are driving to the Harlow residence. Hotch is wearing a suit because he plans on returning to work later. Jack is wearing tan khaki pants and a long sleeve blue and white checkered buttoned shirt. In his hands is the picture of Haley and him, and a Captain America action figure. Hotch is making sure that Jack is okay with being placed in foster care.<p>

"Jack are you sure you're okay with this? I mean being placed in foster care? Because if you're not, then I can turn this car around and we can go back home. It's your decision."

"Yes daddy. I'm okay with this. We're still going to see each other. It's not like I'm going away forever." Jack explained.

Hotch just smiled and the rest of the trip is silent.

Twenty minutes later…

Hotch and Jack finally arrive at the Harlow residence and are greeted by Brenda. She is wearing a white blouse with a pair of black dress pants. Her brown hair has been neatly curled. She is happy to see Hotch and Jack.

"Good morning! Come on in!" Brenda happily said.

"Good morning to you too. I'm sorry we're late." Hotch said as he and Jack entered the house.

"That's alright. There's no harm in being late. Jack is probably just a little nervous and scared about all this."

"Oh no. Jack's not the one who caused us to be late. I kept asking him if he's okay with all this." Hotch explained.

"I promise you that Jack will be safe here. Have you had breakfast yet, Jack?"

"Yes, daddy made me some chocolate chip pancakes this morning." Jack said.

"Wow that sounds delicious." Brenda said with a smile. "Do you mind if I keep Jack out of school today? I would like to get to know him a little bit more."

"No I don't mind. I think Jack would love to miss a day of school. Does that sound like fun, Jack?" Hotch asked.

Jack just shook his head, "Yes."

"Can I talk to Jack outside for a few moments?" Hotch asked.

"Of course. Take your time." Brenda said.

When Hotch and Jack stepped outside on the porch, Hotch turned Jack to face him.

"Jack are you sure you want to stay here? You don't have to if you don't want to. We can leave right now."

"Daddy, I'm going to be fine." Jack said, reassuring Hotch.

"Alright I was just making sure. I'll try to visit you whenever I can. Be a good boy for Miss Harlow, okay?"

"I will daddy. Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah, I promised Chief Strauss that I would be at the Quantico by 1:30 today. I love you, Jack." Hotch said as he hugged his son.

"Love you too, daddy." Jack said.

Hotch released Jack and sent him back inside the house.

"Tell Miss Harlow I thank you for taking care of you."

"Okay daddy."

Hotch turned to leave, but Jack stopped him.

"Wait daddy."

"What is it buddy?" Hotch asked, concerned.

"I want you to take this, daddy." Jack said as he handed Hotch his Captain America action figure.

"I can take this from you, Jack. You might miss it."

"No, I want you to take it. I'll be okay without it."

Hotch slipped the watch off his wrist.

"Jack, since you're giving me your Captain America action figure, I want you to take my watch."

"Thanks daddy. Now I won't feel so alone because I have your watch. And you won't feel alone either because you have my Captain America action figure." Jack explained.

Hotch just smiled and gave his son one last hug before leaving. When Hotch got to his vehicle, he noticed that Jack is sitting on the porch steps. Jack is obviously upset, but there are no tears. Hotch drives away and as he is driving, tears run down his face. Jack places the watch next to his ear and listens to the ticking sound. Brenda steps outside and places her hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Are you okay, Jack?" She asked, concerned.

"Yes I'm okay. Daddy said thank you for taking care of me."

"Well I'm glad that you are here. Why don't we go inside now? Because there's a piece of cake in the kitchen and I was wondering if you could help me get rid of it. Do you like cake?"

"I love cake." Jack said as he and Brenda walked into the house.

A few hours later…

It is now 3:50 pm and Jack is sitting at the kitchen table coloring a picture, while Brenda is at the sink washing dishes when five kids walk into the house. There are three boys and two girls. One of the boys has short light brown hair with light blue eyes. He is wearing a pair of blue jeans with a black graphic tee shirt and black and white shoes. He is about seventeen years old. Another boy also has short light brown hair, but green eyes. He is wearing blue jeans with a black vest over a white shirt and black dress boots. He is about sixteen years old. The third boy has short light blonde curly hair with blue eyes. He is wearing blue jeans with a white shirt covered in race cars. His race car themed shoes light up when he moves. He is about five years old. The oldest girl has long wavy blonde hair with blue eyes. She is wearing skinny jeans with a pink dress shirt and black fur boots. She is about thirteen years old. The youngest girl has shoulder length brown hair with green eyes. She is wearing a green dress with green tights and white dress shoes. She is about eight years old. Jack just stares at them as they walk in. He is probably wondering who they are. Brenda introduces Jack to each one of them.

"Jack, these are my children. This is Patrick." Brenda said while pointing to the seventeen year old.

"Hi Jack. It's nice to meet you." Patrick said.

"Nice to meet you too." Jack said.

"This is Tristian. Brenda said while pointing to the sixteen year old.

"Hello Jack. Glad to have you here." Tristian said.

"Thank you." Jack said.

"This is Serena." Brenda said while pointing to the thirteen year old.

"Hi Jack. I'm very happy to meet you." Serena said.

"Thanks." Jack said.

"This is Aubrey." Brenda said while pointing to the eight year old.

"I'm very pleased to meet you Jack. And I only have one rule for you…stay out of my room. Got it?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes I got it. And I'm very pleased to meet you too." Jack replied.

"And this is…"

"I want to tell him who I am." The five year old said.

"Alright, go ahead and tell him." Brenda said.

"Hi Jack, my name is Lucas. Mommy says we're going to share my bedroom. We can be friends. Do you want to be my friend?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, I'll be your friend." Jack answered.

"Let's go to my room now. We can play with toys. I have lots of toys. Do you have any toys?" Lucas asked as he took Jack's hand and led him upstairs to his room.

"I have toys, but I left all them at my daddy's apartment." Jack answered.

"Oh, you can play with my toys. Mommy says it's very nice if a person shares. Right mommy?"

"That's right sweetie. Be nice to Jack, okay?"

"Okay mommy, I will."

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><p>End of chapter six. Please review. Chapter seven will be up soon.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7 Welcome Back

Description: Hotch returns to work.

Disclaimer: I only own the victims in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"All serial killers want to win. They choose victims they can kill successfully."~ Pat Brown<p>

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><p>It is now 12:45 pm and JJ, Morgan, Prentiss, Reid and Rossi are in the bullpen, talking. Garcia is in her office.<p>

"Did any of you see that documentary on serial killers last night?" Reid asked.

"Reid, we spend almost every day chasing those kinds of people. When I get home, I don't even want to think of that word." Prentiss explained.

"I didn't see it either. I was at an Italian restaurant." Rossi said.

"I was busy watching a Winnie the Pooh DVD with Henry." JJ said.

"Oh I remember that cartoon. I loved that show!" Prentiss explained.

"Yeah me too! Now all they have is the boring cartoons. Why cancel the good ones?" JJ asked.

"No one watched the documentary last night? They mentioned Robert Pickton, Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, The Zodiac Killer, Albert Fish…"

"Reid, if there's ever a documentary on the Bay Watch hotties, I'll be right over at your place to watch it."Morgan said.

"What's Bay Watch?" Reid asked confused.

The others gave Reid a strange look.

"You have got to be kidding me. You never heard of Bay Watch?" JJ asked amazed.

"No I'm serious. What's Bay… Hotch, you're back." Reid said as Hotch walked in. The other four turned to see him and are shocked.

"What are you doing here?" Prentiss asked.

"I decided to come back. Well actually Jack talked me into coming back."

"We're glad to have you back." Rossi said.

"Yeah welcome back." The other four said.

"Thanks." Hotch said.

"How have you and Jack been?" Morgan asked.

"Fine." Hotch simply said.

"Who is taking care of Jack, while you're here?" Reid asked.

"Brenda Harlow. She's a foster care parent in Emberson."

The other five are silent.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. It's only for a little while." Hotch said, reassuring the team, but it seemed like he was actually reassuring himself.

The others breathed a sigh of relief.

"When can you see him?" Prentiss asked.

"Anytime I want." Hotch said.

"Well that's good. Let's get started on the next case." JJ said as she walked towards the conference room. The others followed behind her.

A few moments later…

The team is in the conference room. Everyone sitting down, but JJ is standing next to the large screen. On the screen are photographs of three dead women. The first victim is a young African America woman with short brown hair and brown eyes. The second victim is a young American woman with short dark blonde hair, and blue eyes. The third victim is a young French woman with long wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. JJ is explaining what happened to them.

"Last Wednesday evening, in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the body of thirty three year old Avianna Noel was discovered under the back porch if her home. Then on Friday evening, the body of forty year old Addison Collins was discovered under the stairs of her home. And last night, the body of twenty four year old Talia Rousseau was discovered in the closet of her hotel room. Each victim had been asphyxiated with a plastic bag. A child's toy was placed next to each body."

"Why was the last victim found in a hotel room?" Prentiss asked.

"Because she and her husband and son were on vacation from Paris, France." JJ explained.

"They picked a wrong time for a vacation." Rossi said.

"Who discovered the bodies?" Reid asked.

"Avianna was discovered by her five year old twins, Evan and Nevaeh. Addison was discovered by her five year old daughter, Sally. And Talia was discovered by her five year old son Mason."

"It's almost as if the unsub wanted the kids to find the bodies. Kind of like a game of hide and seek." Rossi stated.

"Why would anyone want a child to find a dead body? That's just disgusting." Prentiss said.

"Maybe the unsub wants to traumatize the children." Morgan suggested.

"What's with the toys being placed near the victims? That's one of things that I don't understand about this case. You wouldn't place a child's toy near the body of an adult. Did the toys belong to the children of the victims?" Reid asked.

"I'm not sure why the toys were placed near the bodies. And none of the victims children recognized any of the toys." JJ said.

Garcia walks in.

"JJ, I have the file that you asked for. Hotch you're back." Garcia said shocked.

"Hello Garcia. It's good to see you." Hotch said.

"Good to see you too. How have you been?" Garcia asked.

"I'm fine, thank you. And how have you been?" Hotch asked.

"Fine, thank you sir. How has Jack been?"

"He's doing okay. He's living with a lady named Brenda Harlow in Emberson. She's a foster care parent."

"Why is Jack in foster care?" Garcia asked worried and confused.

"I couldn't find anyone else to take care of Jack while I'm away. So foster care was my only other option, but don't worry. It's only temporarily. I'll still be able to see him, whenever I want." Hotch explained.

"Oh okay. I think it's good that you still get to see him. Well I better get back to my office. Welcome back." Garcia happily said as she left the room.

"She's certainly happy to see you." Prentiss said to Hotch.

"Garcia's always happy to see anyone." Hotch said. "Well let's go get on the plane."

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><p>End of chapter seven. I'm sorry it's short. There probably won't be much on the unsub storyline because I want to keep the story focused on Jack. So in either chapter nine or ten, you'll find out who the unsub is. Please review.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8 The Witness

Description: The team arrives in Minneapolis, Minnesoda and talk with the victims families.

Disclaimer: I only own Detectives Logan and Juarez and the Noels, Collins and Rousseau's. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"The death of someone we know always reminds us that we are still alive - perhaps for some purpose which we ought to re-examine." ~Mignon McLaughlin, <em>The Neurotic's Notebook<em>, 1960

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><p>Hotch and the team steps off the plane in Minneapolis and are greeted by two detectives. One of the detectives is a dark haired and hazel eyed man of about fifty years. His name is Detective Logan. The other detective is a young Latino woman of about thirty years with short wavy black hair and light brown eyes. Her name is Detective Juarez.<p>

"Agent Hotchner, I'm Detective Logan and this Detective Juarez." Logan said as he introduced himself and his partner.

"Nice to meet you both. This is my team, Agents Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, Reid, and Jareau. Have there been any more victims?" Hotch asked.

"So far not yet." Logan said.

"Do you have any idea as to who could be killing these women?" Morgan asked.

"I wish I did. Too many kids have been losing their mothers, lately." Logan said.

"We should get started now. JJ, I want you, Reid, and Rossi to go talk to the Noel family. Logan, Morgan and I will talk to the Collins family. And Juarez and Prentiss will talk to the Rousseau family." Hotch said.

Everyone leaves.

Twenty minutes later…

JJ, Rossi, and Reid have arrived at the Noel residence. JJ rings the doorbell and a middle aged African American man with short brown hair and brown eyes answers the door.

"Can I help you with something?" The man asked.

"Are you Mr. Noel?" JJ asked.

"Yes I am, and who are you?" Mr. Noel asked.

"I'm Agent Jareau and these are Agent Reid and Rossi. We're here to talk with you about your wife's murder. May we come in please?"

"Yes of course." Mr. Noel said as he stepped aside for the three agents. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thank you." JJ said.

"We can talk in the living room." Mr. Noel said as he led the three into the living room.

"Mr. Noel, what can you tell us about your wife?" JJ asked.

"Avianna was such a beautiful and kind woman. She loved helping others and spending time with our children, Evan and Nevaeh. I really don't know how I'm going to explain to them that their mommy is never coming back. I mean they were really scared when they found her, but I don't think they understand any of this."Mr. Noel said, sounding upset.

"They're only five years old. It's perfectly normal for children that age to not understand. They'll understand eventually. You just have to be patient with them." JJ explained.

"Mr. Noel, can you think of anyone who would do this to your wife?" Rossi asked.

Mr. Noel thought for a few moments.

"I don't know anyone who would harm Avianna. Everyone loved her."

Evan and Nevaeh Noel walk in.

"Daddy, we took our nap. Can we go outside and play now?"Evan asked.

"Yeah daddy, we want to go play in the sandbox." Nevaeh said.

"We'll go outside in a few minutes. I just need to talk to these people." Mr. Noel said.

"Why are they here?" Nevaeh asked.

"They just want to ask me some questions about your mommy. They're trying to find the person who hurt her." Mr. Noel explained.

"Is this going to take a while?" Evan asked.

"No, I promise it won't." Mr. Noel said.

"I can take them outside. If it's alright with you." Reid offered.

Mr. Noel thought for a few moments.

"Yeah I'm okay with that. Are you two okay with going outside with Agent Reid for a little while?" Mr. Noel asked Evan and Nevaeh.

The two children looked at Reid, then at each other.

"Yes." The two children said as they each took Reid by the hand and led him outside to the back yard.

"I'm surprised they actually went with him. Evan and Nevaeh are usually afraid of others." Mr. Noel explained. "I guess they trust him."

"Yeah Reid has that affect on kids." JJ said with a smile.

"Are you sure you don't know anyone who would want to harm Avianna? Did anyone have a grudge against her?" Rossi asked.

"Yes I'm sure. I don't know any person who hated her." Mr. Noel said.

"I think that's all we have for you. Thank you for your time and cooperation. We'll let you know if find something. We are deeply sorry for your loss." Rossi said.

"Thank you. Please find my wife's killer. She may be dead, but she won't be able to rest until her killer is caught." Mr. Noel said.

"We understand. We're going to do everything we can to catch this killer." JJ said.

Meanwhile outside…

Reid is playing in the sandbox with Evan and Nevaeh. They are building a sandcastle.

"Wow, this almost looks like the beach. Have you two ever been to the beach?" Reid asked.

"What's a beach?" Evan and Nevaeh asked.

"A beach is kind of like a giant sandbox, but has a lot more sand in it. So you can build a bigger sandcastle than this one right here. And there is also a giant swimming pool called the ocean, but you can't swim too far because you might drown."

"Nope I have never been there." Evan said.

"Me neither, but it sounds like fun." Nevaeh said.

"It is fun. Maybe your dad will take you there sometime." Reid said.

"And mommy too! We can't leave mommy by herself." Nevaeh said.

"Yeah I bet mommy wants to go to the beach too. So we should wait until she gets back from wherever she is." Evan said.

"Daddy says she's in Heaven. We want to go there to bring her back home because we miss her. But we can't because Heaven is her new home. Why doesn't mommy want to live here anymore? I don't think she loves us anymore." Nevaeh said.

"Oh no that's not true. Your mommy still loves you both and she always will. No matter where she is." Reid explained."

"But if she still loves us, then why doesn't she want to come home?" Evan asked.

"Well because when someone gets hurt really bad like your mommy, they go to Heaven."

"I cut my foot on piece of glass and I didn't go to Heaven." Evan said.

"Yeah why isn't Evan in Heaven?" Nevaeh asked.

"Because the doctors saved him. They couldn't save your mommy." Reid explained.

"But when we found her, she wasn't bleeding. There was just a plastic bag over her head. Why couldn't the save her? She wasn't broken." Evan said.

"Well actually she was broken. You just couldn't tell because she was broken on the inside. You know kind of like when you get a stomach ache." Reid said trying to explain to the two kids.

"Oh okay. I think we know what you're talking about now." Nevaeh said.

"Yeah mommy had a stomach ache." Evan said.

"No not exactly. Her esophagus had been damaged."

"What's an esophagus?" Evan and Nevaeh asked.

"An esophagus is the part of your throat that helps you breathe. So when the bag was put over your mommy's head, it blocked her esophagus and she couldn't breathe anymore." Reid explained.

"And then she died?" A sad Evan asked as he began to understand.

"Yes that's when she died. I'm sorry if I scared you two by telling you all this. Are you both okay?" Reid asked concerned as he saw the sad looks on the two children's faces.

"We're okay. Why would someone want to hurt mommy? She was a very nice lady." Nevaeh said.

"I guess it's because not everybody in the world is nice. There are some people in the world who are mean. I know that's sad and scary to say, but it's true." Reid said.

"Is the person that hurt mommy, going to hurt us too?" A scared Evan asked.

"My team and I are going to do everything we can to catch the bad person." Reid said.

"Do you promise?" Nevaeh asked.

"Yes I promise." Reid said.

JJ and Rossi walk up.

"Reid, it's time to go now." JJ said.

"I'll be there in a few seconds." Reid said as he turned to Evan and Nevaeh. "Well I guess I have to go now. Goodbye kids."

"Thank you for building the sandcastle with us." Nevaeh said.

"You're welcome. That is a really cool sandcastle." Reid said while pointing to the sandcastle.

"Don't forget to catch the person who hurt mommy." Evan said.

"I won't forget." Reid said as he walked away.

A few moments later…

JJ, Reid, and Rossi are in the vehicle. JJ is driving. Rossi is in the seat next to her. And Reid is sitting in the middle of the back seat. JJ and Rossi notices that he is too quiet.

"Reid, are you okay?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah I'm okay. Why?"

"Because you're never this quiet." JJ explained.

"I'm sorry. I just don't understand. I mean I'm supposed to be a genius, but I couldn't explain to Evan and Nevaeh what death is. It was too difficult."

"It's never easy for anyone to explain death to a young child. Children believe that people live forever. They don't believe in death." Rossi explained.

Meanwhile with Hotch, Morgan and Logan…

The three have arrived at the Collins residence. Hotch rings the door bell and a young man with short auburn hair and hazel eyes answers the door.

"Mr. Collins, I'm Agent Hotchner and this is Agent Morgan and Detective Logan. We're here to talk to you about your wife's murder. May we come in please?" Hotch asked.

Mr. Collins moves aside to let the three in. "We can talk in the living room."

The four of them walk into the living room.

"Mr. Collins, we want you to know how sorry we are for your loss. I know what you are going through." Logan said, apologizing.

"Have you ever lost a wife?" An upset Mr. Collins asked Logan.

"Yes I have. I lost my wife to cancer sixteen years ago. Our daughter Iris was thirteen years old at the time. She blamed me for the death because she thought I could have done something to save her. After about two weeks, Iris realized that it wasn't my fault. She's grown up now and has a baby girl of her own. She named the baby after her mom, Judy Teresa." Logan said.

"I'm sorry and congratulations on your granddaughter." Mr. Collins said.

"Thank you, I'm very proud of my granddaughter." Logan said.

"Mr. Collins, what can you tell us about your wife?" Hotch asked.

"Addison was a very lovely woman. She enjoyed spending time with our daughters Zoey and Sally. She was never too busy to spend time with them. This is difficult for Sally because she's the one who found Addison. Sally used to talk all the time, but now we can't get her to say one word. She won't leave Zoey's side. I'm afraid that she may never recover from this."

"She's traumatized. You have to give her time to recover. She will be okay." Hotch said reassuring Mr. Collins.

"Mr. Collins, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Addison?" Morgan asked.

Mr. Collins thought for a few seconds.

"No, there isn't one person that I could think of that would harm Addison."

Two young girls walk in the room. The oldest girl is about seven years old with light blue eyes and long auburn hair. Her name is Zoey. Standing next to her is a five year old with light blue eyes and long wavy blonde hair. This girl is Sally. She is looking at the floor. Hotch recognizes the two girls.

"Daddy, can Sally have one of the brownies that Aunt Beatrice sent yesterday?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah she can have one." Mr. Collins answered.

"Can I have one too?" Zoey asked.

"You can have a brownie too."

"Thank you daddy. Even though she won't talk, Sally says thank you too." Zoey said.

"You're both very welcome." Mr. Collins said.

Zoey notices Hotch.

"I know who you are. You're that man from the park in Washington D.C. You have a son named Jack."

"That's right. I do." Hotch said.

"Are you here to catch the person who hurt mommy?" Zoey asked.

"Yes I am." Hotch said.

"Will you tell Jack that Sally and I are sorry for making him get off the swing at the park?"

"I'll tell him, but I don't think he's mad at you anymore." Hotch said.

"Please tell him, just in case he is still mad at us." Zoey said.

"I will." Hotch said.

"Okay." Zoey said as she and Sally walked out of the room.

"You know my wife and daughters?" Mr. Collins asked.

"Yeah we met at the park in Washington D.C. My son and your daughters had a little argument over a swing on the swing set. I didn't realize that one of the victims was your wife until I saw your daughters again." Hotch explained.

"Oh." Mr. Collins simply said.

"Mr. Collins, we would like to thank you for your time and cooperation. That is all the questions we have for you." Morgan said.

"Please find my wife's killer." Mr. Collins pleaded.

"We will." Morgan said.

Meanwhile with Prentiss and Juarez...

The two have arrived at the hotel that the Rousseau's are staying in. Prentiss knocks on the door.

"I hear this guy is French. Can you speak French? Because I can't." Juarez admitted.

"I know every language. I moved around a lot when I was a kid. So language is like a hidden talent I have."Prentiss explained.

A young man with short black hair and dark blue eyes answers the door.

"M. Rousseau, je? Prentiss agent m et c'est le détective Juarez. Nous? Sommes là pour vous parler de votre femme? S assassiner. Puissions-nous entrer en s'il vous plaît?"

"Oui, puis-je obtenir vous deux quelque chose?" Mr. Rousseau asked as he stepped aside for the two girls.

"Non merci, nous sommes beaux." Prentiss said. M. Rousseau, que pouvez-vous nous parler de votre femme?"

"Talia était une belle dame et en nature. Elle aimait faire rire les autres. Elle était une femme merveilleuse et sa mère. Elle aimait notre fils, Mason."

"Pouvez-vous penser à quelqu'un qui voudrait faire cela à votre femme?"

"Non, Talia n'a pas d'ennemis. Je ne comprends pas pourquoi quelqu'un voudrait lui faire de mal. Il ne fait aucun sens. "

"Pourquoi étiez-vous et votre famille ici en vacances?" Prentiss asked.

"L'an dernier, Talia a commencé à parler à la femme l'un sur l'internet. Les deux d'entre eux est devenu très proche. Eh bien il ya quelques mois, la femme avait demandé à Talia pour venir en Amérique, afin qu'ils puissent enfin se rencontrer. Talia me pria de nous permettre d'aller en Amérique. Nous n'avons jamais été là avant, et je ne pouvais pas dire non à Talia. Maintenant je voudrais avoir dit non parce que si nous étions encore à Paris, elle ne serait pas mort. " Mr. Rousseau said, sounding upset.

"Ce n'est pas votre faute. Vous n'auriez pas pu éventuellement connu que cela allait arriver. " Prentiss explained.

"Je sais que ce n T de ma faute. Je me sens comme si je pouvais faire quelque chose pour l'arrêter."

Savez-vous qui était la femme?" Prentiss asked.

"Non, Talia ne m'a jamais dit son nom."

"Qu'est-ce que Talia et cette femme parler?"

"Talia dit qu'ils parlaient toujours de Mason. La femme était seulement intéressé à connaître Mason. Mr. Rousseau explained.

"Pourquoi était-elle intéressée à connaître votre fils? Prentiss asked.

"Je ne sais pas." Mr. Rousseau said.

A little boy with short black hair and dark green eyes walks into the hotel room. The little boy is Mason Rousseau.

"Papa, je peux aller jouer dans la salle du bas jeu?"

"Quand je suis fait de parler à ces deux dames, je vous emmènerai à la salle de jeu, ok?" Mr. Rousseau asked Mason.

"D'accord papa".

"Je suis désolé." Mr. Rousseau apologized to Prentiss and Juarez.

"C'est bien. Nous n'avons pas d'autres questions pour vous. Merci pour votre temps et votre coopération." Prentiss said.

"S'il vous plaît trouvez celui qui fait cela à Talia. Elle ne méritait pas de mourir." Mr. Rousseau said as his cell phone rang. "Bonjour? Oh Salut maman. "

The phone begins to get statically, so Mr. Rousseau looks at the two girls. "Voulez-vous l'esprit en regardant Mason pour quelques minutes? Je ne reçois pas une bonne réception dans ici."

"Bien sûr, nous allons le surveiller." Prentiss said.

"Merci." Mr. Rousseau said as he stepped out of the room.

Mason taps Juarez' wrist and she looks down at him.

"Je sais qui a tué maman." Mason said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're saying. What is he saying?" Juarez asked Prentiss.

Prentiss gets down to Mason's level.

"Mason, pouvez-vous me dire ce que vous venez de dire le détective Juarez?"

"Elle pensait que je dormais, mais je n'étais pas. Je l'ai vue" Mason said.

"Qui as-tu vu?" Prentiss asked, concerned.

"La dame que maman parlé sur l'internet. Elle a tué maman."

Savez-vous le nom de la dame?"

Mason thought for a few moments.

Je ne m'en souviens pas." Mason said.

"C'est correct. Pouvez-vous me dire ce que la dame ressemblait?"

Oui, ses cheveux étaient très courts et blonds. Et elle avait un tatouage d'une fleur sur son poignet." Mason explained.

"Saviez-la dame rien dire à ta maman?"

Elle vient de lui a dit qu'elle avait besoin de la punir."

"Pourquoi était-elle la punir?"

"Je ne sais pas. C'est tout ce qu'elle dit. " Mason said.

Mr. Rousseau walks back in.

"Alright Mason, êtes-vous prêt à aller à la salle de jeu?" Mr. Rousseau asked as he picked up his son.

Ouais! Il était agréable de parler à vous deux. " An excited Mason said to Juarez and Prentiss.

"Vous aussi. Amusez-vous dans la salle de jeux. " Prentiss said as she walked out the room and Juarez followed her.

A few moments later…

The two girls are outside.

"Hey what did Mason say to you?" Juarez asked.

Prentiss takes out her cell phone and dials a number.

"Hey Hotch, Juarez and I just got done talking to the Rousseau's and Mason Rousseau told me that he knows who killed Talia."

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><p>End of chapter eight. Sorry for the long wait. If you would like to know what Prentiss and the Rousseau's were saying in this chapter, send me a pm and I'll send you the English version of their dialogue. I'm sorry if any of the French words in this chapter are wrong. I don't know much French, but I'm trying to learn it. So if anything is incorrect, just let me know. Did you know that the last name Rousseau is an English variation of the last name, Reid? And it is an Italian variation of the last name Rossi. Please review. Chapter nine will be up soon.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9 Rebecca Riley

Description: The team finally catches the unsub and wonder why she committed the crimes.

Disclaimer: I only own Mindy and the Riley family in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"The death of a child is the single most traumatic event in medicine. To lose a child is to lose a piece of yourself." ~ Dr. Burton Grebin.<p>

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><p>Everyone is at the station and Prentiss is telling them what Mason Rousseau told her.<p>

"Mason Rousseau told me that he witnessed someone murdering Talia Rousseau. He said that it was a woman who Talia had befriended on line. He said he doesn't remember the woman's name, but she has short blonde hair and a tattoo of a flower on her wrist. He said that the lady told Talia that she had to punish her."

"Why didn't the unsub kill Mason too?" Morgan asked.

"Maybe the unsub didn't have a problem with Mason." Rossi suggested.

"We still don't have a motive as to why the unsub is killing these women." JJ said.

Everyone is quiet for a few moments because they are trying to figure out why these women are being murdered. Then Rossi speaks.

"Hey wait a minute. What if the unsub believes she is actually helping the children?"

"Why would she need to help the children? All three women were devoted to their children." Prentiss explained.

"Mason told you that the woman said that she had to punish Talia. Well what if she is actually punishing herself for a tragedy that happened recently in her life? She sees herself in these women." Rossi explained.

Hotch dials Garcia's number.

"Garcia's funhouse of horror. What is your wish?" Garcia asked in her unique phone answering technique.

"Garcia, I need you to search the database for any child in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area that may have died as a result of asphyxiation." Hotch said.

"Can you narrow that down to a certain time frame sir? Because it would be a lot easier." Garcia said.

"Try the past two years." Hotch suggested.

"Just give me a moment, please." Garcia said as she searched the database. "Okay I found one and it's pretty sad. On December 5th 2009, the body of five year old Rebecca Riley was discovered under a pile of thick blankets in a hallway closet in her home. She was discovered by her mom, Faith Riley. Faith had performed CPR on Rebecca until the paramedics arrived. Sadly it was too late. Rebecca was already gone. Faith hasn't been the same since then."

"Garcia, can you give us a location on Faith Riley?" Hotch asked.

"Faith Riley can be found at 1879 Alkire Lane."

"Thanks Garcia." Hotch said as he ended the call. "We need to get over to the Riley home because Faith Riley could be there."

Everyone leaves the station.

Meanwhile at the Riley home…

A young woman with short blonde hair and light blue eyes sits on a couch. A tattoo of a flower can be seen on her left wrist. A blank expression is shown in her eyes. She is holding a gun and looking down at it. Sitting next to her is a small rainbow colored stuffed bunny.

Ten minutes later…

Hotch and the team arrives at the house. Hotch rings the doorbell and they all wait for an answer. After a few minutes, Hotch quietly opens the door and slowly walks in. The team follows him. Hotch leads them into the living room where they find the woman. The woman keeps her eyes on the gun in her hand. Everyone has their guns raised, just in case something goes wrong.

"Faith Riley?" Hotch cautiously asked.

"I knew you would find me. Things like this never end well. I'm sorry, but I just had to kill those women. I just had to. I did it for Rebecca." Faith said without looking up.

"Tell me about Rebecca." Hotch said.

"Rebecca was my precious little girl. She was never afraid of anything. She loved playing hide and seek. Who knew that would be the death of her?"

"What happened to Rebecca?" Hotch asked.

"I remember that day. It was December 5th 2009. Two weeks before her sixth Birthday. She was so excited about it. She asked me if she could open one of her presents early and I couldn't say no to her. This bunny rabbit is the present she opened. Rebecca loved bunnies and all the colors of the rainbow. I thought this would be the perfect gift. And she loved it." Faith said as she picked up the toy. "Anyway my husband, Harrison was at work that day and my two sons Matthew and Nicholas were in school. Rebecca didn't want to go to school that day. So I told her that it would be okay for her to miss one day of school. Around nine thirty that morning, she decided that she wanted to play hide and seek. She told me to count to ten while she hid. Well as I was counting, the phone rang. I went to see who it was and it was my friend Mindy. We hadn't talked in years and I was surprised to hear her voice. We must have talked for at least two hours. After I hung up the phone, I took a nap. When Matthew and Nicholas got home from school at 3:30 that day, I was still asleep. They woke me up and asked where Rebecca was. That's when I panicked because I had forgotten about her. I found her under a pile of blankets in the hallway closet. I noticed that she wasn't breathing. I performed CPR on her while I waited for the paramedics, but they told me it was too late. She was already dead. She suffocated under all those blankets. I killed my little girl." Faith said as she raised the gun to her head and looked at Hotch.

"Faith, this doesn't have to end this way." Hotch said.

"I have nothing to live for. My little girl is dead. Harrison divorced me and took my sons away from me. The last time I saw Matthew and Nicholas was four months after Rebecca died. Harrison said that I was neglecting them. Why did my little girl have to die? Why?" Faith asked with tears in her eyes.

"I can't give you a direct answer for that. We have all lost someone that we love. And we all wonder why they had to die. But killing yourself isn't going to solve anything. It won't bring Rebecca back." Hotch explained.

Faith still had the gun on her right temple and said, "Matthew graduates from the eighth grade in May, but Harrison says that I can't be there. Nicholas turned ten, three months ago. I asked Harrison if I could be there and he said no. I lost all three of my children. I just want to see them again."

"Maybe I can arrange a meeting for you and your sons. I know you miss them, and they probably miss you too." Hotch said.

"You would do that for me?" Faith asked.

"Yeah, but you're going to have to give me the gun. I really don't think Matthew and Nicholas want to see you in a funeral home."

Faith dropped the gun and began to sob uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Rebecca!"

Hotch signals for someone to help Faith. JJ calmly walks over to Faith.

"It's going to be okay Faith." JJ said as she helped Faith off the couch.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Matthew and Nicholas. They're going to hate me." Faith said with tears in her eyes.

"No they're not. They're going to understand why you did this. It's just going to take them some time." JJ said.

Before she is handcuffed, Faith picks up the stuffed bunny and stares at it.

"This bunny was Rebecca's last Birthday present. When she first saw it, he became her favorite toy. She even named him "Rainbow" because of all the colors. He was with her when I found her in the closet that day. I kept him because I thought it was the only way I could hold on to her. Now I know that I don't need him because Rebecca is always with me. It's been two years now and I think Rainbow has been away from Rebecca long enough. I know we can't make any stops at the cemetery, but do you think you could send someone over there? I really think Rebecca would love to have Rainbow with her." Faith said to Hotch.

"Sure, I'll send Agent Reid over there. Reid, can you take Rainbow to Rebecca's grave?" Hotch asked Reid.

"Of course." Reid said as he took the bunny from Faith.

"Please make sure she gets it." Faith said.

"I will. I promise." Reid said as he walked out of the house.

Twenty five minutes later…

Reid is in the cemetery. He is kneeling in front of a tombstone with the bunny in his hands. The tombstone has many flowers and toys around it. The inscription on the tombstone says, "Rebecca Evangeline Riley. December 16th 2004 – December 5th 2009. Gone from this earth, but forever in our hearts." A bunny has also been inscribed in the center of the tombstone. Reid begins to speak.

"Hey Rebecca, you probably don't know who I am, but my name is Spencer Reid. I'm not really good at talking to people who are gone because I'm not sure if you're listening to me or not. I met your mom today and she really misses you. She wished she could be here today, but she can't because she did a really bad thing. She believes you're mad at her. But I don't think that's true. I believe you forgave your mommy for forgetting about you that day. I believe she hasn't been able to forgive herself. So if it's possible, could you please send your mommy a sign to let her know that you forgive her and that you're okay? I think she would really appreciate that. Anyway, she told me to give this bunny back to you. I think his name is Rainbow. She said that you might be missing him. So I'm just going to give him back to you. Happy Birthday Rebecca." Reid said as he placed the bunny near the tombstone. He then stood up and walked back to his SUV.

Meanwhile with Faith Riley…

"Hotch, JJ, Logan and Juarez are escorting Faith into the police station. Something catches Faith's eyes and she breaks down. Sitting in the center of the steps of the station is a snow white rabbit. The rabbit is staring at Faith.

"She's okay. My little girl is safe now." Faith said in tears.

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><p>End of chapter nine. Chapter ten will be up soon. Please review.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10 Merry Christmas Jack!

Description: Hotch spends Christmas with Jack.

Disclaimer: I only on the Harlow family. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"A good time to laugh is any time you can." ~Linda Ellerbee<p>

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><p>It's December 25th and the Jack and the Harlow children are enjoying their presents that Brenda bought for each of them. Patrick, Lucas and Jack are in the living room. Patrick is sitting on the couch playing his new video game. Lucas and Jack are sitting on the floor. Lucas is playing with his new race car toy. And Jack is playing with his new Greenlantern action figure. Tristian and Aubrey are in the dining room sitting at the table. Tristian is researching something on his new laptop computer. And Aubrey is fixing her new five thousand piece "Winter Wonderland" puzzle. Brenda and Serena are in the kitchen. Serena is sitting at the counter looking at her new cell phone. Brenda is baking Christmas cookies.<p>

"I love my new cell phone. Thank you mom." Serena happily said.

"You're welcome. Try not to damage it because I paid two hundred and twenty dollars for that phone." Brenda said.

"I won't. I promise." Serena said.

The door bell rings.

"Will someone please get the door!" Brenda shouted.

"I'll get it!" Lucas shouted as he ran to the door. He opens it and sees and dark haired and dark eyed man wearing a suit. "Mommy, there's a man in a suit at the door!"

Jack knew exactly who Lucas was talking about. He runs to the door and sees Hotch.

"Daddy!" Jack happily shouted as he ran to Hotch and jumped in his arms. Hotch hugged his son.

"Merry Christmas buddy. I missed you." Hotch said.

"I missed you too daddy." Jack said.

Brenda walks in.

"Aaron, it's nice to see you here." Brenda said.

"Merry Christmas Brenda. Has Jack been behaving well?" Hotch asked.

"Jack is a wonderful little boy. We have no trouble at all with him. We love having him here. He and Lucas have become best friends." Brenda said with a smile.

Hotch feels someone tug on his suit jacket. He looks down and see's Lucas.

"My name is Lucas."

"Really? My name is Aaron." Hotch said to the little boy.

"Are you Jack's daddy?" Lucas asked.

"Yes I am."

"Are you going to take Jack away?" Lucas asked, almost sounding sad.

Hotch put Jack down and got down to Lucas' level.

"Well I would like to spend Christmas with Jack if it's alright with your mommy. But don't worry because I'll bring right back here." Hotch explained.

"Of course you can spend Christmas with Jack. Spend as long as you want with him." Brenda said.

"Thank you. I'm on vacation until January fifth. So I'll probably bring him back on the fourth."

"Fine with me. I bet Jack is excited to be spending Christmas with his daddy. Is that right Jack?" Brenda asked with a smile.

Jack smiled and shook his head, "yes."

"Are you ready to go Jack?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, do I need to bring any clothes?"

"No I bought you some new clothes." Hotch said.

"Can I just bring three things with me?" Jack asked.

"Sure." Hotch said.

"I'll be right back." Jack said as he walked out of the room. A few moments later, he returned with Hotch's watch, the photograph of him and Haley, and his new Greenlantern action figure.

"Do you have everything you need?" Hotch asked.

"Yes can we go now?" Jack asked.

"Yes we're leaving right now." Hotch said.

"Have fun Jack." Brenda said.

"I will. See you on the fourth." Jack said.

Later that day…

Hotch and Jack are at Hotch's apartment. Jack is opening the presents that Hotch bought for him. Hotch bought Jack three brand new outfits, a superhero coloring book, a superhero wristwatch, and a stocking filled with Christmas candy.

"Thank you daddy." Jack said after he opened all his presents.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry I didn't get you a lot of presents."

"You don't have to buy me a lot of presents, daddy. I got the present that I really wanted. I wanted to spend Christmas with you and that's what I got." Jack explained as he hugged Hotch.

"Thanks Jack. I got the present that I wanted too because I get to spend Christmas with you." Hotch said with a smile.

"I wish mommy could be here. I really miss her."

"So do I, but I bet she's watching over us."

"I think you're right daddy. Can we go outside and build a snowman?" Jack asked.

"Sure buddy. That sounds like a lot of fun, but you have to put your snowsuit on first. I don't want you to get sick." Hotch said.

"Okay daddy. I'll be back in a few minutes." Jack said as he left the room.

Fifteen minutes later…

Hotch and Jack are outside building a snowman, when Jack throws a snowball at Hotch.

"Did you just throw a snowball at me?" Hotch playfully asked.

"Yes I did. You looked hot, so I thought a snowball would help cool you off. What are you going to do about it?" Jack asked with a laugh.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe I'll do this." Hotch said as he tossed a snowball at Jack.

Jack hid his face in his hands and pretended to be upset. Hotch really thought he was upset, so he walks over to his son and gives him a hug.

"I'm sorry buddy." Hotch said.

Without warning, Jack splatters a snowball on Hotch's back and begins to laugh.

"I tricked you daddy! I really wasn't crying!" Jack happily shouted.

"I can't believe you just did that. Oh well, I'll get even with you." Hotch said as he picked up Jack and threw him in a large pile of snow. When Jack stood up, he was covered in snow.

"That was really fun daddy!" Jack happily shouted.

"You look like the abominal snowman."Hotch said with a laugh as he brushed the snow off Jack.

"This is the best Christmas ever daddy." Jack said.

"I'm thinking the exact same thing. Let's go back in the house and get something to eat. You look like you're starving." Hotch said as he picked Jack up.

"I am starving. The last thing I ate was ten pieces of candy before we came outside." Jack jokingly said with a laugh.

Hotch also laughed and the two of them walked back into the house.

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><p>End of chapter ten. Please review. Chapter eleven will be up soon.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11 A Different Side

Description: Brenda begins to abuse Jack.

Disclaimer: I only own Brenda and Lucas Harlow. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"I never lie because I don't fear anyone. You only lie when you're afraid." ~John Gotti<p>

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><p>It's January 27th and Jack and Lucas are in Lucas' room playing, when Jack accidently hits Lucas.<p>

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Jack asked.

"Mommy!" Lucas screamed hysterically.

Brenda rushes into the room.

"What's going on in here?"

"Jack hit me!" A crying Lucas said.

"Did you hit him?" Brenda asked Jack.

"Yes, but it was an accident. I didn't mean to hit him. We were spinning around and we got too close to each other and I accidently smacked him." Jack explained.

"It wasn't an accident mommy. He did it on purpose."

"No it really was an accident." Jack said.

Brenda walks over to Lucas' closet and retrieves a belt. She then walks over to Jack.

"What are you going to do mommy?" Lucas asked.

"Jack needs to learn that lying is wrong." Brenda said.

"I'm not lying." Jack said.

"Turn around." Brenda said.

"Why?" A confused Jack asked.

"I said turn around!" Brenda angrily said as she violently turns Jack around. She raises the belt and hits Jack with it five times. On the fourth hit, she aimed a little too high because the belt buckle connected with his spine. Jack falls to the floor in pain. He isn't crying, but he is shocked because he has never been hit before. Brenda stands him up and looks at him.

"Are you going to hit Lucas again?"

"No Miss Harlow." Jack quietly said.

"Are you going to lie again?"

"No Miss Harlow."

"Smart answer Jack. Maybe if your mommy and daddy had raised you well, then you wouldn't be a selfish brat." Brenda said.

"I'm not a selfish brat! And don't say mean things about my mommy and daddy! They raised me very well!" Jack angrily shouted.

Brenda raises her hand and slaps Jack across the face. When her hand connects with Jack's face, it feels like a thousand bee stings.

"Ow!" A stunned Jack said as he placed a hand over the right side of his face.

"Don't you ever speak to me like that again! Do you understand?" Brenda shouted.

"Yes Miss Harlow." Jack said in a shaky voice.

"Are you going to hit me too mommy?" A scared Lucas asked.

"No sweetie, mommy isn't going to hit you. You're not a bad boy." Brenda said, reassuring her son.

"Is Jack a bad boy?" Lucas asked.

"Yes he is. Now how about you and I go down stairs to the kitchen and get some ice cream?"

"That's a great idea mommy!" An excited Lucas exclaimed.

"Go on down to the kitchen. Mommy will be there in a couple of minutes." Brenda said.

"Okay mommy." Lucas said as he walked out of the room.

Brenda then turned to Jack.

"You can stay right here in this room and think about what you did." Brenda said as she stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

For the rest of the day, Jack silently sat on the floor in front of his bed. He couldn't believe that Lucas lied and said that he hit him on purpose. He thought Lucas was supposed to be his friend. It scared him when Brenda hit him, but he didn't cry. No matter how hard she hit him, he wasn't going to let her see him cry. Jack wondered if Brenda will hit him again. What he doesn't know is that soon his life will become hell.

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><p>End of chapter eleven. I'm sorry it's short. Please review. Chapter twelve will be up soon.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12 The Liar

Description: Brenda tells her children horrible lies about Jack, causing them to hate him.

Disclaimer: I only own the Harlow's. Nothing else is mine.

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><p>"Lying is done with words and also with silence." ~Adrienne Rich<p>

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><p>It has been three days since Brenda had hit Jack. Since then, Brenda ahs not hit him, but she has been mean to him. And today while Jack is sitting at the dining room table color, Brenda walks in there and violently pulls him out of the chair. She drags him into the living room where her children are.<p>

"What's going on mom?" Serena asked.

"Jack's been doing some awful things. The other day he hit Lucas for no reason. Then he spoke to me in a rude tone of voice. And I found this under his pillow." Brenda said she placed Serena's smashed cell phone on the coffee table.

"What happened to my phone?" A shocked Serena asked.

"Jack got angry and decided to take his frustrations out on your phone." Brenda said.

Serena is now angry.

"What is wrong with you? How could you break my phone?" Serena screamed at Jack.

"I didn't break your phone. I would never break something that isn't mine." A scared Jack said.

"Stop lying! I saw you break her phone!" Brenda shouted as she violently grabbed Jack's arm.

"I don't know how your phone got broke, Serena. But I promise it wasn't me. Miss Harlow, you're hurting my arm." Jack complained.

"Shut up!" Brenda shouted.

"You better not let him get away with this, mom." Serena said.

"Oh I won't, but you're going have to be the one to punish him." Brenda said to Serena.

"What do you want me to do, mom?" Serena asked.

"Whatever you want to do." Brenda simply said.

Without saying another word, Serena punches Jack in the face. The other Harlow kids are shocked at what they just witnessed. Once again, Jack does not cry.

"Won't Serena get in trouble for that?" A concerned Tristian asked.

"Not if we say it was caused by an accident. We can just say that Jack walked into the door." Brenda said. She then turned to Jack and said, "You better not tell anyone what really happened. Do you understand?"

"Yes Miss Harlow."

"Good, now I want you to apologize to Serena for breaking her phone."

"But I didn't break her phone." Jack complained.

Brenda slaps Jack across the face.

"What did I tell you about lying?"

Jack didn't want to argue anymore. So he turns to Serena and says, "I'm sorry for breaking your phone."

Serena just stares at him with an evil look.

"Thank you Jack. Now go to your room and stay there until dinner time." Brenda said.

Jack does as he is told and leaves the room.

"Why is Jack behaving that way?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah when he first arrived here, he was a nice kid." Patrick said.

"I don't know. Maybe he's thinks just because his father chases criminals, he can do whatever he wants." Brenda said.

"Do you think maybe he misses his mom?" I mean she did die just recently." Tristian explains.

"It is possible, but whatever his problem is, he has no right to damage other people's property. Just because he's upset." Brenda said.

Meanwhile with Jack…

Jack is sitting on his bed. He is sad, but he isn't crying. He is silently thinking to himself.

"Why is Miss Harlow being mean to me? Why does she hate me? What did I do to make her so mad? Why is she telling lies about me? What am I going to tell my daddy when he sees me like this tomorrow? Should I lie to him or should I tell him what really happened? I don't know what to do."

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><p>End of chapter twelve. I'm sorry it's short. I'm trying to make the chapters longer. Please review. Chapter thirteen will be up soon.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13 The Carnival

Description: Jack spends the day at the carnival with Hotch.

Disclaimer: I only own the Harlow's. Nothing else in the chapter is mine.

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><p>"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." ~John Barrymore<p>

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><p>It is eleven a.m. the following day and it's quiet at the Harlow home. Patrick is at a friend's house playing video games. Tristian is at the local library. Serena is at the mall with her best friend and her friend's older sister. Aubrey is in the dining room fixing a puzzle. Brenda is folding laundry. And Jack is watching television in the living room. Only Lucas is being noisy. He keeps bugging Jack.<p>

"Hey Jack, let's play race cars." Lucas said as he dragged one of his toy cars across Jack's arm.

"Don't do that, and I don't want to play." Jack said.

"I don't have to and I want to play now." Lucas demanded.

"I don't want to play race cars. I want to watch TV."

"I'm going to tell mommy." Lucas threatened.

"If you tell on me, then I'll never play with you again." Jack said.

"Mommy!" Lucas shouted, causing Jack to cover his ears. Brenda rushes in there.

"What's the matter Lucas?" Brenda asked.

"Jack won't play race cars with me and he said that if I told on him, he won't play with me ever again." Lucas whined as he crossed his arms above his chest and pouted.

Brenda turns to Jack and says, "Do you have a problem with my son?"

"No Miss Harlow. I just want to watch the Superhero marathon." Jack stated.

"When are you going to stop living in a damn fantasy world? Superheroes are not real! Just because your damn daddy works for the FBI, it doesn't make him a superhero! You think just because your daddy is some big shot agent, you're better than we are! I'm tired of you acting like a spoiled brat!" Brenda shouted.

"I don't think I'm better than you are and I'm not a spoiled brat. If anyone is a spoiled brat, it's Lucas. It won't hurt him to hear the word no. And my daddy is a superhero. He always catches the bad guys and keeps the good people safe."

Brenda is about to say something when the doorbell rings. She goes to the front door to see who it is. When she opens the door, she sees Hotch.

"Aaron, it's nice to see you. Please come in."Brenda said with a smile as she steps aside.

"Nice to see you too, Brenda." Hotch said as he stepped into the living room. Jack sees Hotch and runs up to him. He is happy to see him.

"Daddy!" Jack happily shouted as he jumps into Hotch's arms and hugs him.

"Hey buddy." Hotch said as he hugged Jack. He then puts him down to look at him. He is horrified when he sees Jack's left eye, swollen and bruised. "Jack why is your eye black?"

"I accidently walked into the door yesterday." Jack said lying.

"You must have hit the door pretty hard. Are you okay?" A concerned Hotch asked.

"Yeah daddy, I'm okay." Jack said.

"You know how kids can be. They can get hurt real easily. Right Jack?" Brenda asked with a smile.

"Right, can we go now daddy?" Jack asked Hotch.

"Sure buddy. There's a carnival in Washington D.C. Do you want to go there?" Hotch asked.

Jack's eyes lit up when Hotch said carnival.

"That sounds like fun daddy!"

"Alright buddy. Say bye to Miss Harlow." Hotch said with a laugh.

"Bye Miss Harlow." Jack said.

"Bye Jack, have fun." Brenda said with a smile.

"I'll try to have him back by 9:00 tonight." Hotch said as he picked up Jack.

"That's alright with me." Brenda said.

"Have a nice day." Hotch said as he walked out with Jack.

A few moments later…

Aubrey walks in.

"Who was that, mommy?" Aubrey asked.

"That was Aaron Hotchner. Jack's daddy." Brenda plainly stated.

"Did he ask about Jack's eye?"

"Yeah Jack told him that he walked into the door."

"Did Jack leave with him?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah they went to the carnival in Washington D.C. They'll be back later."

"Oh okay." Aubrey said.

A couple of hours later…

It is now 1:30 pm and Hotch and Jack have arrived at the carnival. There are at least three thousand people there. There are about thirty rides, fifteen concession stands, eleven game booths, and twenty tents with people selling items. Really loud music is playing in the back ground, but it's not loud enough to have to shout when you talk to someone. Hotch and Jack has decided to walk around for a while. They soon meet Reid, Prentiss, Morgan, Rossi, JJ, Garcia, Kevin, Will and Henry. Will is holding Henry.

"Hey look who's here!" An excited JJ shouted.

"When did you all get here?" Hotch asked.

"About ten minutes ago. How long have you two been here?" Morgan asked.

"Jack and I just got here a couple of minutes ago." Hotch said.

Everyone notices Jack's eye and is shocked at the sight.

"What happened to him?" Reid asked.

"He accidently walked into the door yesterday." Hotch said.

"Oh, are you okay Jack?" Prentiss asked.

"Yeah I'm okay." Jack said.

"Do you guys mind if Kevin and I leave the group?" Garcia asked.

"What are we not good enough for you two?" JJ teasingly asked.

"As a matter of fact, Kevin and I have found a much better group than this one." Garcia jokingly said.

"Fine we don't want you with us anyway." JJ said teasingly.

Everyone laughs.

"We're just going to play a few games." Garcia said.

"Alright have fun." JJ said.

"We'll be back soon." Garcia said as she and Kevin walked away.

"I don't see how anyone can play the games here. They are all rigged. Every time I play a game at a carnival, I end up losing thirty dollars." Morgan said.

"Wow you must be desperate to win a stuffed animal. Once I lose two dollars on a game, that's when I stop." Prentiss said.

"I always win with two dollars." Reid said.

"That's because you're a genius. It's easy for you to win." Morgan said.

Rossi turns around and notices a very large Ferris wheel in the back ground.

"Hey that looks like fun. Anyone want to go on it with me?" Rossi asked, pointing to the Ferris wheel.

"I'll go on it." Will said.

"Me too." The rest of the group chimed in.

When the group arrived at the Ferris wheel, they were able to fit into one car. The wheel soon started to move. When they got up to the top of the Ferris wheel, Henry became scared and Jack notices this.

"It's okay Henry." Jack said to the scared one year old.

"Mommy, I want down. I don't like it up here." A scared Henry said as he grabbed onto JJ's arm.

"It's okay sweetie. When the wheel starts moving again, we'll be okay. They just stopped the ride so other people can get on. It will start moving in a minute." JJ explained.

"We're not going to let you fall. I promise." Reid said to Henry.

"Hey Henry, how about after we get off this ride, I'll get you some cotton candy?" Prentiss asked.

"I like cotton candy!" An excited Henry said.

"Well that made him happy." Will said.

"Do you like cotton candy too, Jack?" Prentiss asked.

"Yeah I like cotton candy." Jack said.

"I'll buy you some too." Prentiss said.

A few moments later…

The group is off the Ferris wheel and Prentiss is buying cotton candy for Jack and Henry at a concession stand.

"Hi, what can I get you?" The lady behind the concession counter asked.

"Could I have to bags of cotton candy?" Prentiss asked.

"Sure, that'll be $7.50." The lady said as she handed Prentiss the two bags of cotton candy.

"Thank you." Prentiss said as she gave the money to the woman. She then turned around and gave the cotton candy to the two small children.

"Thank you." Jack said as he took one bag of cotton candy.

"You're welcome." Prentiss said.

Henry has already torn into his bag of cotton candy.

"I think you're forgetting something, Henry." JJ said.

Henry was quiet for a few moments before he spoke.

"Want some?" Henry asked as he offered Prentiss a bite of his cotton candy.

"No thank you." Prentiss said with a laugh.

"Can you tell Emily thank you for the cotton candy?" JJ asked Henry.

"Thank you for the cotton candy." Henry said to Prentiss.

"You're welcome." Prentiss said.

Kevin and Garcia walk up with two giant stuffed animals. One stuffed animal is a monkey and the other is a lion. The rest of the group is surprised at the size of the two toys. The toys are bigger than both Jack and Henry.

"Sorry we're late. We were trying to win these two toys for Jack and Henry. Alright boys, pick which one you want." Garcia said to Jack and Henry.

"Which one do you want, Henry?" Jack asked as he let Henry picked first.

"Monkey! Thank you!" Henry shouted as he raced over to the giant monkey and hugged it."

"You're welcome!" Garcia said with a smile.

Jack picks up the lion and says, "Thank you Penelope."

"You're welcome." Garcia said.

"Garcia, you and Kevin really didn't have to do that." JJ said.

"Yeah you didn't have too." Hotch said.

"Of course we did. They didn't cost that much." Garcia said.

"Exactly how much did you spend on those stuffed animals?" JJ asked.

"Fifty dollars." Garcia mumbled.

"What?" JJ asked, confused.

"Fifty dollars." Garcia mumbled again.

"How much did you spend just to win those stuffed animals?" JJ and Hotch asked.

"Alright fine, we spent fifty dollars." Garcia said.

"What?" JJ and Hotch asked, shocked.

"That stupid dart kept missing the balloons and we just had to win those two stuffed animals. And besides look how happy the kids are, including Reid." Garcia said as she pointed at Reid, Jack and Henry playing with the giant toys.

JJ and Hotch look over at a laughing Jack and Henry. The two boys are laughing because Reid is making the animals talk in a funny voice.

"They do look happy." JJ said.

"Yeah they do, but you two really didn't have to do that." Hotch said.

"It was worth it." Kevin said.

"Exactly, the whole fifty dollars was worth seeing Jack and Henry smile." Garcia said.

"Reid certainly is happy. Maybe he wants a toy too." JJ said.

"Yeah maybe he does. Reid if you really want a toy, there is a clown here making balloon animals. They only cost two dollars, which is in my price range. You don't have to take the kids toys from them." Morgan jokingly said.

"Really? I love balloon animals. You think he'll make a balloon dragon? I've always wanted one of those." Reid said.

"You always wanted a dragon made out of balloons?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah that is the one animal that I have never seen be made out of balloons." Reid said.

"Well if he can, then you will be the first person in history to have a balloon dragon." Prentiss said with a laugh.

"Well let's go before the clown leaves and your dreams of owning a dragon made out of balloons are crushed." Morgan said as he dragged Reid away from the group.

"I'm going to buy a funnel cake. Anyone else want one?" Will asked.

"No thanks." The others said.

"Wait, can you get me a coke. Here's a few dollars." Rossi said as he handed Will some money.

"Oh I can pay for it." Will said as he handed the money back to Rossi.

"Are you sure?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah I'm sure." Will said.

"You think you can get the soda with one of those cool drinking cups with the neat straws that twist?" Rossi asked.

"Yep I can do that." Will said.

"Thank you." Rossi said.

"You're welcome." Will said as he walked away from the group.

Kevin and I are going to see what people are selling in the tents. We'll be back in a few minutes." Garcia said as she and Kevin walked away.

"We have got to take the boys on the carousel." Prentiss said as she noticed the carousel.

"I love the carousel. That was my favorite." JJ said.

"I think I'll skip this ride and let you all ride it instead. I was never much of a carousel person." Rossi said.

"Yeah me neither." Hotch said.

"I think we have a couple of scared men. You do realize that the horses are fake and they can't jump off the carousel and run away, don't you?" Prentiss asked teasingly.

"If you feel like you're going to fall off, just grab onto the pole that is connected to the horse. That is your lifesaver when you're on this ride." JJ said as both she and Prentiss began to laugh.

"You two are enjoying this, aren't you?" Rossi asked the two girls.

"No of course not. We think this is a very serious matter." Prentiss and JJ said, while trying not to laugh.

"Dave, I think they're lying. They are clearly enjoying this." Hotch said.

"I think you're right Aaron. They are enjoying this." Rossi said.

"Uh oh, I think they know. We better go now." Prentiss said with a laugh as she and JJ picked up the two children and quickly got on the carousel.

As JJ, Henry, Prentiss and Jack ride the carousel; Rossi and Hotch talk to each other.

"So how does Jack like living with Brenda Harlow?" Rossi asked.

"He says he likes it. He and Lucas have become really good friends." Hotch said.

"Who's Lucas?" Rossi asked.

"Lucas is Brenda's five year old son. Jack shares a room with him. Sometimes I forget that Jack doesn't live with me anymore because I keep going into his room to say good night. When I notice that he isn't there, I panic because I think someone stole him. It takes me a few minutes to remember that I placed him in foster care. I really miss him." Hotch said.

"I know you miss him, but I think it's great that Brenda allows you to see him whenever you want. And I bet Jack likes that too." Rossi said.

Later that night…

It is now 9:30 pm and Hotch is driving Jack back to the Harlow residence.

"Did you have fun today?" Hotch asked Jack.

"Yeah I had lots of fun today. Thanks daddy." Jack said with a smile.

"I think Henry had fun with you today." Hotch said.

"Henry's cool. I like spending time with him." Jack said.

"I think it's great that you like to spend time with Henry. Most five year olds would hate to spend time with a one year old." Hotch said.

"I guess I'm not like most other five years olds." Jack said.

Hotch just smiles.

"Do you want to take your lion with you or should I take it home with me?" Hotch asked.

Jack thought for a few moments.

"Is it okay if I take it with me?" Jack asked.

"Sure buddy. It's your toy." Hotch said.

"Thanks daddy. I want to keep it with me for a little while, but maybe next time when you visit me again, I'll send it with you."

"That sounds okay to me."

Thirty minutes later, Hotch and Jack finally arrive at the Harlow residence. Hotch walks Jack to the front door. He rings the doorbell. A few moments later, Brenda answers the door.

"You're back. Come on in." Brenda said with a smile.

"Sorry we're late. I lost track of time." Hotch said as he and Jack stepped inside. Jack is carrying his giant stuffed lion.

"That's alright. There's nothing wrong with being late. Did you have fun at the carnival, Jack?" Brenda asked.

"Yes I had a lot of fun." Jack said.

"That's great Jack." Brenda said.

"I have to get going now. Thanks for letting me take Jack today." Hotch said to Brenda.

"You're welcome." Brenda said.

"Jack can you come here please?" Hotch asked.

Jack walks over to Hotch. Hotch gets down to Jack's level.

"Are you leaving, daddy?" Jack asked.

"Yeah I have to leave now. I have to go to work tomorrow, but I'll see you soon okay?"

"Okay daddy. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Be good for Miss Harlow, okay?"

"I will daddy."

"I love you." Hotch said as he kissed Jack's forehead and hugged him.

"I love you too daddy." Jack said as he watched Hotch walk out the door.

As soon as Hotch was out of sight, Brenda violently grabs Jack's arm.

"Ow, you're hurting me!" Jack complained.

"Shut up! You were supposed to be here at 9:00! You're an hour late! Is your daddy too stupid that he can't even tell time?" Brenda shouted.

"My daddy is not stupid! He said that he was sorry for being late!" Jack shouted.

Without saying a word, Brenda drags Jack into the living room where Tristian, Aubrey and Lucas are. Patrick and Serena are each spending the night at a friend's house. Lucas sees the giant stuffed Lion and he immediately runs over to it.

"Mommy, can I have this?" Lucas asked, excited.

"No that's mine. You can play with it, but you can't have it." Jack said.

"But I want it." Lucas whined.

"Lucas, you're going to have realize that you can't have anything you want, just because you throw a fit over it." Tristian explained to Lucas.

"Lucas, you can have anything you want." Brenda said as she took the giant stuffed lion away from Jack and handed it to Lucas. "Here sweetie, this is your toy now."

"Penelope bought that for me." Jack said as he tried to take the lion from Lucas.

"I don't care if your damn dead mother bought it for you. It's Lucas' toy now. So you can just stop trying to take it from him." Brenda said.

Tristian was shocked at what Brenda had just said.

"Mom, I really don't think you should have said that to him." Tristian said.

"Who's side on you on Tristian? Your family's or Jack's?" Brenda asked.

"I'm not on anyone's side. I'm just saying that I think it's wrong for you to say that to a five year old about their dead mother." Tristian explained.

"Jack can just go to his mother's grave and whine about how I'm a horrible person to him, for all I care." Brenda rudely said.

"Did Jack do something bad again?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes he did. He got home late. I think it's time for bed now, Aubrey and Lucas. Go upstairs and get ready for bed. Jack, you can just sleep in here tonight because I don't want you in Lucas' room. Tristian, don't forget to turn off the lights when you go to bed. Goodnight." Brenda said, ending the argument.

When Brenda, Aubrey and Lucas leave the room, Tristian notices that Jack is sad. He walks over to him and gets down to his level.

"I'm sorry Jack. It'll be okay. Lucas will forget about that toy and I'll get it back for you. I promise.

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><p>End of chapter thirteen. I'm debating on if I want Tristian to continue to be nice to Jack or if I want him to be mean to him. I must admit that I do like the idea of at least one person in the Harlow family being nice to Jack. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see in later chapters. Please review. Chapter fourteen will be up soon.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14 Birthday Party

Description: Lucas turns six years old and Jack isn't invited to the party.

Disclaimer: I only own the restaurant and the people inside the restaurant, except for Jack. He belongs to CBS.

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><p>"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." ~John Wooden<p>

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><p>Today is March first, three weeks since the carnival. Jack got to spend last weekend with Hotch and there was no evidence of abuse on Jack. Brenda had actually managed to refrain from hitting Jack. But Jack isn't stupid because he knows that she will hit him again. She just doesn't want Hotch to become too suspicious of her. And today is also Lucas' birthday. He's having a birthday celebration, but Jack wasn't invited to it. So at this moment, while Lucas and most of his classmates are outside enjoying the party, Jack is in his room sadly watching the party out the window. He silently wishes that he could join in all the fun.<p>

Meanwhile outside…

It is a beautiful sunny day and the entire back yard is in party mode. A table is set up with presents, cake and ice cream. The birthday cake is shaped like a race car. The color of the cake is blue. It is also a chocolate cake. There are at least five other tables for everyone to sit at. It the center of the back yard is an inflatable bounce house. Lucas and nine other children are playing in the bounce house. Five children are playing pin the tail on the donkey. Sixteen of them are playing egg toss, while twelve of them are tossing around balloons. There are also balloons tied to all the tables. All the children are wearing party hats, but Lucas is wearing a birthday crown. Lucas' siblings are also at the party. Patrick is watching the children in the bounce house, while a couple of adults are watching all the other children. Serena is sorting out party favors for each child. Aubrey is sitting paper plates and cups on each table. Tristian is just sitting down at the cake table, looking bored and Brenda notices this.

"You don't look too happy to be here." Brenda said.

"It isn't fair and you know it isn't." Tristian said.

"What isn't fair?" Brenda asked.

"Jack should be out here having fun with all this other kids."

"Tristian, don't start with me." Brenda warned. "This is Lucas' party and if he doesn't want Jack here, then Jack won't be here."

A group of excited children run up to Brenda. Lucas is among the group.

"Thanks for the birthday party mommy! Everyone is having lots of fun!" An excited Lucas said.

"You're welcome sweetie. Is everyone ready for some cake and ice cream?" Brenda asked with a smile.

"Yeah!" The group shouted excitedly.

"Tristian, will you tell the other children that it's time for cake and ice cream?" Brenda asked Tristian.

"Sure mom. It's time for cake and ice cream!" Tristian shouted. He then gets up and walks towards the house. The rest of the children are now around the cake and ice cream table.

Meanwhile with Jack…

Jack is lying on his stomach on the floor in his and Lucas' bedroom. He is coloring in his superhero coloring book. A few seconds later, Tristian walks in.

"Hi Jack. What are you doing?"

"I'm coloring in my coloring book that daddy gave me for Christmas." Jack said without looking up.

"I'm sorry you couldn't be at the party." Tristian said.

"That's okay." Jack said, still looking down.

The room is silent for a few moments, until Tristian speaks.

"Have you ever been to a restaurant called Universal Clubhouse?"

"No, what kind of restaurant is that?" Jack asked curiously as he looked up from his coloring book.

"Universal Clubhouse is this really cool restaurant where you can eat and play games. You even win tickets from each game and you can get free prizes with the tickets. It's really fun." Tristian explained.

"Can we go there, please?" An excited Jack asked.

Tristian just laughed and said, "Sure, but we'll have to walk because I can't drive yet."  
>"That's okay. How far is Universal Clubhouse?"<p>

"It's about three blocks from here. So it should only take us twenty minutes to get there."

"Let's go now." Jack said as he grabbed Tristian's hand.

Twenty minutes later…

Tristian and Jack have arrived at the restaurant. They are greeted by a young man with short auburn hair, hazel eyes, black dress pants and a long white sleeve shirt with a green vest. He appears to be about twenty five years old.

"Hi welcome to Universal Clubhouse. Would you like a table or a booth?" The man asked.

"We'll take a booth." Tristian said.

"Alright, follow me." The man said as he led Jack and Tristian to an empty booth in the crowded restaurant. As they sat down, the man handed them a menu. "I'll be your waiter for the evening. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Can I please have chocolate milk?" Jack asked.

"Sure, and what would you like to drink?" The waiter asked Tristian.

"I think I would like to have a coke please." Tristian said.

"Are you both ready to order your food?" The waiter asked.

"Do you know how to read, Jack?" Tristian asked Jack.

"Kind of." Jack said.

"Do you want me to read the menu to you?" Tristian asked.

"Yes please." Jack said.

Tristian then looked at the waiter and said, "Could you give a few minutes please?"

"Yeah sure, just let me know when you're ready to order." The waiter said.

"Thanks." Tristian said.

"You're welcome." The waiter said as he walked away.

For the next three minutes, Tristian reads the menu to Jack. After he reads it, he asks Jack is he's ready to order.

"Do you know what you want to eat?" Tristian asked.

"Yes." Jack said.

"Okay just let me get the waiter." Tristian said as he signaled for the waiter. The waiter walks over to the booth with two drinks in his hands.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked as he sat a glass of chocolate milk in front of Jack. He then placed a glass of coke in front of Tristian.

"Yes we're ready to order. Jack, can you tell him what you want?" Tristian asked.

"Can I please have some nachos with a brownie?" Jack asked.

"Sure, and what would you like to order?" The waiter asked Tristian.

"I'll have the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes." Tristian said.

"Alright, your orders will be done in a few moments." The waiter said as he walked away.

While they waited for their food, Jack and Tristian talked.

"Jack, can I asked you a question?" Tristian asked.

"Yes." Jack said.

"Do you remember when Serena punched you and then the next day, your daddy took you too the carnival?"

"Yeah why?"

"Why didn't you tell your daddy what really happened?"

"Because I was scared."

"Why were you scared to tell him the truth? He doesn't hit you too, does he?" Tristian asked concerned.

"No, daddy never hits me. He's always nice to me. I was scared because if I told daddy what really happened, he would have to take me back and he wouldn't get to save anyone anymore." Jack explained.

"Jack, you shouldn't think that it's okay for my mom or anyone else to hit you because it's not okay. Your dad seems like a really cool guy and I don't think he would approve of any of this. If you want, I can call him and tell him about everything."

The waiter shows up with two plates of food.

"Okay we have the nachos and brownie for the child." The waiter said as he sat a plate of food in front of Jack.

"Thank you." Jack said.

"You're welcome. And for the young man, we have the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes." The waiter said as he sat a plate of food in front of Tristian.

"Thank you." Tristian said.

"You're welcome. Enjoy your meals." The waiter said as he walked away.

Jack and Tristian get back to their conversation.

"It's you decision Jack. Do you want to tell your dad or not?" Tristian asked.

Jack thought for a few seconds.

"No I'll be okay. Maybe your mom and brothers and sisters are mean to me because they're having a bad day." Jack suggested.

"That still doesn't give them a right to treat you the way they do. I don't like the decision you made, but you're old enough to make your own decisions. If my mom or anyone else hits you again, I'm telling you dad, okay?"

"Okay." Jack said.

For the next five minutes, the two are silently eating before Jack says something.

"Tristian, can I ask you something?" Jack asked.

"Sure." Tristian said.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Well I like to help people. So maybe I'll be someone who helps others. I just haven't decided exactly what I want to do."

"Guess what I want to be when I grow up." Jack said.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Tristian asked with a smile.

"I want to be just like my daddy." Jack said with a smile.

"That sounds like a really cool job." Tristian said.

"What happened to your daddy?" Jack asked curiously.

"Well my dad and mom were always fighting and then one day, he decided that he wanted to leave."

"Did they ever hit each other?"

"No they just always yelled at each other." Tristian said.

"Where does your daddy live?" Jack asked.

"He lives in Canada, but I don't get to see him as much as I want to." Tristian said.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Because he lives too far away and my mom says I can't visit him. She always gets mad if I ask her about it, but I think maybe after school ends this year, I'll stay the whole summer with my dad and not tell mom about it." Tristian said.

"Do you miss your daddy?" Jack asked.

"Yeah I miss him. He's really nice." Tristian said.

"Can we go play now? "Jack asked.

"Are you done eating?"

"Yeah I'm full.

"Okay then, let's go play." Tristian said as he took Jack by the hand and led him into the crowded game room.

"There are a lot of people in here." Jack said.

"Yeah it's always like this. Let's go get some tokens so we can play the games." Tristian said as he and Jack walked over to a machine. He places a five dollar bill in the machine and receives twenty tokens. "Alright let's go play some games.

For the next fifteen minutes, Tristian and Jack walked around, playing games. After all their tokens were gone, they had won about five hundred tickets.

"Are there anymore tokens left?" Jack asked.

"Nope we spent them all. Are you ready to cash these tickets in for a prize?" Tristian asked.

"Yeah!" An excited Jack said.

Tristian and Jack walked over to a counter filled with prizes. The girl behind the counter notices them.

"Hi are you ready to cash in your tickets?" The girl asked.

"Yes we are. Okay Jack, tell the lady what you want." Tristian said to Jack.

Jack looked at the counter for a few minutes before choosing what he wants.

"Tristian, do we have enough tickets to get both of the Ironman and Green Lantern action figures?"

Tristian checked the ticket prices for each action figure and noticed that they are both two hundred and fifty tickets.

"Yeah we have enough. Is that what you want?" Tristian asked.

"Yes please." Jack said.

"May we please have the Ironman and Green Lantern action figures?" Tristian asked the girl.

"Sure, that will be five hundred tickets." The girl said as she handed the two action figures to Jack. She took the tickets from Tristian.

"Have a nice day." The girl said.

"You too." Tristian said as he and Jack walked away.

"Thank you Tristian." Jack said.

"You're welcome." Tristian said.

"Can I go play on the pirate ship, please?" Jack asked while pointing at a pirate ship playground.

"You can play on it for twenty minutes, but then we have to go home, okay?"

"Okay thank you!" Jack happily exclaimed as he ran towards the pirate ship.

Tristian sits down on a bench near the pirate ship as he watches Jack play with a group of children. This is the first time he's seen Jack happy in a long time.

"Be careful Jack." Tristian called out as he watched Jack climb up a rope wall.

"I will!" Jack shouted back.

Fifteen minutes later…

Tristian is still watching Jack play, when an elderly man approaches him.

"Excuse me." The man said as he placed a hand of Tristian's shoulder.

Tristian turns around and says, "Hi can I help you with something?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm here with my granddaughter Alice. And I'm a little short on cash. I was wondering if you could spare a couple of dollars, so she can play some of the games here." The old man explained.

"Yeah sure, I can do that. Here you go." Tristian said as he handed the elderly man a five dollar bill.

"Oh thank you. I really appreciate this." The elderly man said.

"You're welcome." Tristian said.

The elderly man walks away and Tristian turns back around to the ship. There are more kids playing on the ship and Jack is nowhere in sight. Tristian begins to worry.

"Jack, where are you?" Tristian called out as he frantically searched for the child.

"I'm over here!" Jack gleefully called out from the ball pit. He had been playing with a group of children. Tristian walks over there and picks him up.

"Are you ready to go home now?" Tristian asked.

"Yeah I'm ready. Thanks for bringing me here. It was really fun." Jack said with a smile.

"You're welcome. Let's go home now." Tristian said as he and Jack walked out of the building.

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><p>End of chapter fourteen. I'm sorry for the long wait. It will probably be a while until I get chapter fifteen up because I'll be doing some research before I post it. Please review.<p> 


	15. Chapter 15 Australia

Description: Hotch, JJ and Morgan are sent to Australia to try to solve a human trafficking case.

Disclaimer: I only own Martin Daniels in this story. Nothing else is mine.

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><p><strong>"You are a human being. You have rights inherent in that reality. You have dignity and worth that exists prior to law." ~Lyn Beth Neylon<strong>

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><p>The team is in the bullpen, viewing pictures of JJ's son Henry.<p>

"What is he covered in?" Prentiss asked.

"He's covered in mud. Will and I bought a puppy for Henry and we decided to take them outside to play. That turned out to be a bad idea because the puppy decided to roll around in the mud. Henry loves to imitate the puppy. So he decided to roll around in the mud too." JJ explained.

"Oh that is so adorable. I bet it took a while to get him cleaned up." Prentiss said with a laugh.

Everyone else also laughed with her.

"He looks like the mud monster." Morgan said.

"He's a very adorable mud monster." Garcia said.

"Now I know what to get him for his second birthday; mud." Rossi jokingly said.

"If you do that, then Henry will be living with you until he gets over his mud obsession." JJ said with a smile.

"Babies do the strangest, but cutest things. Hey Hotch, did Jack ever roll around in the mud when he was Henry's age?" Reid asked.

"No Jack enjoyed stuffing his pants pockets with patches of grass. Every time Haley would wash his clothes, she would find grass in the pockets of his jeans." Hotch said.

"Why would he do that?" JJ asked with a laugh.

"He never really told us." Hotch said with a laugh.

Strauss walks in and everyone stops laughing.

"Agents Hotchner, Jareau and Morgan, I need to speak with you in my office." Strauss said as she walks away.

"What's going on?" Prentiss asked concerned.

"I don't know, but we'll find out in a matter of moments." Hotch said as he JJ and Morgan leave the bullpen.

A few minutes later…

Strauss is sitting at her desk in her office, looking at some paper work when Hotch, JJ and Morgan walks in.

"Chief Strauss, you wanted to see us?" Hotch asked.

Strauss looks up from her paperwork and says, "Yes, please sit down."

The three Agents do as they are told.

"Is there a problem?" Hotch asked concerned.

"Yes there is. In the past three weeks, fifteen American women between the ages of twenty and thirty have been reported missing. There only connection is that they were reported missing while on vacation in Sydney, Australia." Strauss explained.

"You think this could possibly be a human trafficking ring?" Morgan asked.

"Yes I strongly believe that the disappearances of these women are tied to a human trafficking ring." Strauss said.

"What makes you think it's a human trafficking ring?" JJ asked.

"Before the women had gone missing, they were each seen talking to a man named Thomas Wilson."

"Isn't Thomas Wilson a wealthy business man?" JJ asked.

"Yeah he became a self made millionaire at the age of twenty six because he invented some kind of electronic device." Morgan said.

"That was nearly fifteen years ago." Hotch said.

"It is believed that Thomas has been disguising himself as a photographer and luring these women into his home with the promise of a modeling career." Strauss explained.

"You think he's keeping these women in his home?" JJ asked.

"Yes I do, but the police have not been able to find any trace of the women." Strauss said.

"Maybe Thomas has a secret room in his house that the police have over looked. People just don't vanish off the face of the earth." Morgan said.

"You're right Agent Morgan and I believe that the three of you could solve this case and bring these women back to their families. Agent Jareau, I'm sorry to have to inform you, but you're going to be put in a dangerous situation." Strauss said.

"Wait a minute; you want JJ to go undercover as a tourist?" Morgan asked.

"Agent Jareau fits the age description of the missing women. I believe that with her posing as an American tourist, we'll be able to find the women." Strauss explained.

Hotch and Morgan immediately began to protest about JJ going undercover.

"There has to be another option. JJ is inexperienced in that field of work." Hotch said.

"Can't you get someone else to go undercover? Someone who is more experienced?" Morgan asked.

"Guys, I'm going to be fine." JJ said, reassuring her two teammates.

"She'll be under surveillance the entire time." Strauss said.

After a few more minutes of reassurance, Hotch and Morgan were finally convinced.

"Nothing better happen to her." Morgan warned.

"Don't worry Morgan. Everything is under control." JJ said.

"You three will need to leave as soon as possible. I'm not sure how long you three will be there, but it could be a while. So I apologize if it interferes with your family lives. Now go get ready because the plane leaves in an hour." Strauss said.

After the three Agents leave the office, they inform the rest of the team of what is going on.

"How long will you be gone?" Reid asked.

"Until the case has been solved." JJ simply said.

"The trip won't interfere with your visitation rights to see Jack, will it?" A concerned Prentiss asked Hotch. "I mean Brenda can't take him away from you, can she?"

"I never signed away my rights to my son. There is no way that Brenda can take him away from me. Plus we made an agreement that I could visit my son anytime I wanted. No schedule needed." Hotch explained.

"Oh okay." Prentiss said.

"Good luck with everything." Rossi said to JJ, Hotch and Morgan.

"Thanks because we're really going to need it." Morgan said.

Twenty minutes later…

Hotch is in his office calling someone on his cell phone.

"Hello Brenda, this is Aaron Hotchner. May I please speak with my son for a few moments?"

"Yes you may. I'll go get him." Brenda said.

For the next couple of minutes, Hotch patiently and silently waits until he hears a familiar voice on the other end of the phone.

"Hi daddy." Jack happily said.

"Hey buddy. How are you?" Hotch asked.

"I'm fine. Guess what me and Tristian did!" And excited Jack said.

"What did you and Tristian do?" Hotch asked, sounding interested.

"We went to this really fun restaurant and played games and I even got two prizes!" An excited Jack said.

"Sounds like you and Tristian had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, Tristian is really nice to me."

Hotch becomes silent for a few moments and Jack begins to worry.

"Are you okay daddy?" A concerned Jack asked.

"Yeah I'm okay. Jack, I have something to tell you."

"What do you have to tell me?"

"I have to go away for a case and I might not get to see you for a while." Hotch said.

"Where are you going?" Jack asked.

"I have to go to Australia."

"Are you going there by yourself?"

"No, JJ and Derek are going to be with me. Are you sad about me leaving?" Hotch asked.

"No I'm not sad because I know that you'll come back." Jack said, trying not to sound upset, but Hotch could tell that he was upset.

"How about after I solve the case, I bring you a present from Australia?" Hotch asked.

"What are you going to bring me!" An excited Jack asked.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise."

The next few seconds is silent, until Jack speaks.

"I hope you, JJ and Derek solve the case. I love you daddy."

"I love you too buddy."

Forty five minutes later…

Hotch, JJ and Morgan are now on the plane. They are discussing the case.

"Why would anyone want to sell another person? It's disgusting." Morgan said.

"They do it because it's a form of slavery. They want to feel superior to the victims. It's also one of the highest profitable illegal organizations in the world." Hotch explained.

"It says here in the profile that women are the most common victims and unsubs in human trafficking cases. Sometimes the victims will become the trafficker." JJ said while reading the profile.

"You would think that they would want to help the other victims." Morgan said.

A while later…

The three Agents arrive in Sydney, Australia. They are greeted by a middle aged man with brown hair and hazel eyes. He is a Detective. His name is Martin Daniels.

"Agent Hotchner, glad to see you here." Martin said.

"Detective Daniels, this is Agent Derek Morgan and Agent Jennifer Jareau. She will be the one going undercover." Hotch said.

"Is this your first undercover assignment?" Martin asked JJ.

"Yes it is, but unlike my two teammates here, I'm not worried." JJ said about Hotch and Morgan.

"They're just a little overprotective of you. We might as well get started on the case." Martin said.

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><p>End of chapter fifteen. The next chapter will probably be about JJ. So there will be no scenes of Jack. I'll try to have it up as soon as possible. Please review.<p> 


	16. Chapter 16 Undercover

Description: JJ goes undercover.

Disclaimer: I only own Martin, Thomas and the fifteen women. JJ, Hotch and Morgan belong to CBS.

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><p><strong>"In this world there is always danger for those who are afraid of it."~ George Bernard Shaw<strong>

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><p>It is a beautiful day in Australia. A young woman with blonde hair and blues eyes and a dark blue mini halter top dress is sitting on a bench in a park. The woman is JJ. She is also wearing a necklace with a heart shaped pendant. The pendant is actually a hidden camera. Hotch, Morgan, and Martin will be able to see and hear everything. JJ is reading a book when a middle aged blonde haired, green eyed man with a camera approaches her.<p>

"Excuse me, miss." The man said.

JJ looks up from her book and says, "Hello, can I can you with something?"

"My name is Thomas Wilson. I have recently taken an interest in photography. And I think you have a very beautiful face."

"Thank you." JJ said as she blushed.

"You're welcome. Are you here on vacation?" Thomas asked.

"Yes, I'm a tourist from Virginia. I love to travel the world. I've been to Germany, Italy, France, Africa and Japan." JJ said, lying.

"Wow, so many beautiful places. Do you have a husband and children?" Thomas asked.

"No, I'm actually not ready for marriage and family. There's still a lot more places that I would like to visit before I settle down."

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"I'm thirty years old." JJ said.

"How long do you plan on staying here in Sydney, Australia?" Thomas asked.

"I plan on staying here for two weeks. Then I'm going to go back to Virginia and rest for a bit. After that, I'm going to go to Brazil. I'm always on the go." JJ said with a small laugh.

Thomas also laughed with her and asked, "Would you be interesting in modeling for me?"

"Wow, no one's ever offered me a modeling career before." JJ said, pretending to be shocked.

"Well apparently everyone else doesn't realize how beautiful you are. I'll only need to photograph you for the day. I'm creating a magazine called, "The World's Most Beautiful Women." Thomas said while using air quotes.

"I don't know about this. I don't have to pose nude, do I?" JJ asked worried.

"No of course not, but you should take the offer. I'm willing to pay you five million dollars."  
>JJ was silent for a few moments.<p>

"Five million dollars is a lot of money, but its money that I could really use. So I'm going to have to say yes." JJ said with a smile.

Thomas also smiled and said, "I was hoping you would say that. My equipment is at the house and I would really like to get starting on this photo shoot as soon as possible. So should we take my car?"

"Sure." JJ said.

"Great, oh wait a minute. I didn't catch your name." Thomas said.

"Oh I'm sorry. My name is Jennifer Jareau."

"It's very nice to meet you Jennifer. Now, shall we get started on the photo shoot?"

"We might as well." JJ said.

The two of them leave the park and walk to a black mustang car. Thomas opens the door for JJ.

"Thank you." JJ said as she gets in the car.

"You're welcome." Thomas said as he shuts the door and goes around to his side of the car. For the next thirty minutes, the two are silent as Thomas drives. They soon pull into a very long driveway. Thomas gets out and opens JJ's door for her. JJ gets out of the car and is amazed at what she sees. She is looking at a very large white three story Victorian mansion.

"Is this your house?" JJ asked.

"Yes it is. My fourth great Grandfather built it back in 1850. It's been in the family ever since then." Thomas said.

"Wow, it's really gorgeous." JJ said in amazement.

JJ and Thomas enter the mansion. Thomas leads JJ to the third level of the mansion. When they finally reach the third level, they see a long hallway. There are expensive paintings lined up on each side of the wall. JJ and Thomas walk down the hallway, until they meet the end of the hallway. When JJ and Thomas stop walking, they stand in front of a blank wall with only a small shelf attached to it. In the center of the shelf is a small flower vase.

"Well, here we are." Thomas said.

"You take the photographs in front of this wall?" JJ asked confused.

"Not in front of the wall, but behind the wall." Thomas said with a wicked smile.

"I don't understand." JJ said.

Thomas lightly lifts the vase, causing the wall to open up and revealing a hidden staircase.

"Ladies first." Thomas said as he lightly pushed JJ toward the staircase. When the reach the top of the staircase, there is a door. Thomas opens the door and pulls JJ into the room with him. What JJ see's next, will forever haunt her memory. In the center of the room is a large cage. There are nine frightened women inside the cage. Thomas opens the cage door and all the women stand up. Thomas is prepared because he has a gun aimed at the women.

"Everyone, this is Jennifer. She wants to join our little club." Thomas said as he shoved JJ into the cage. He then locks the door and leaves.

Meanwhile with Hotch, Morgan and Martin…

The three are nearby in a white van. They are watching and listening to everything going on at the Wilson mansion.

"I thought there were fifteen women missing. I only see nine here on the video footage." Morgan said while pointing at the screen in front of him.

"What happened to the other six?" Hotch asked.

Martin is searching through the photographs of all the missing women. He then finds something.

"I think I know which women are unaccounted for." Martin said.

"Who?" Morgan asked.

"Twenty year old cousins Bailey and Christina Bishop of San Diego, California are not seen on the video footage. The other four women include twenty three year old Brianna Abraham of Staten Island, New York, twenty seven year old Megan Elliot of ST. Louis, Missouri, twenty eight year old Samantha Kelly of Cameron, North Carolina, and thirty year old Julia Lane of Birmingham, Alabama." Martin said.

"They have either been murdered or sold already." Hotch stated.

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><p>End of chapter sixteen. Sorry for the long wait. You'll find out what happened to the other six women in chapter seventeen. I'll try to have it posted as soon as possible. Please review.<p> 


	17. Chapter 17 Jack and JJ

Description: Things turn worst for both Jack and JJ.

Disclaimer: I only own Thomas, the women who are in the cage with JJ, and the Harlow family. Nothing else is mine.

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><p><strong>"Tears stream down your face when you lose something you cannot replace." ColdPlay (Fix You)<strong>

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><p>After Thomas had shoved JJ into the cage and left, JJ speaks to the other women.<p>

"Someone please tell me this is part of the photo shoot." JJ said worried.

The women just shook their heads no.

"What is it?" JJ asked.

"This is a human trafficking ring. The modeling job was just a lie." A woman with auburn hair and hazel eyes said.

"Oh my God." JJ said.

"I hear you name is Jennifer." The woman said.

"Yes it is. What's your name?" JJ asked.

"My name is Peyton. And this is Julia, Katie, Miranda, Mia, Alexis, Ciara, Leah and Sylvia." Peyton said as she introduced the other women.

"There were six other women." Alexis said.

"Did Thomas sell them?" JJ asked.

"Brianna, Bailey, Jordan, and Megan were sold. Christina and Samantha were murdered." Mia said.

"Why was Christina and Samantha murdered?" JJ asked.

"Because Thomas wasn't able to sell them. When he can't sell them, he kills them." Leah said.

"They were murdered a few days ago. Their bodies are in that deep freezer over there." Sylvia said while pointing at a deep freezer in the back of the room.

A few minutes later, Thomas walks in with a very short green spaghetti strap dress in his hands. He opens the door and grabs JJ by the arm.

"Well Jennifer, I see you've gotten acquainted with the other women. I'm sure they've filled you in on everything."

"What do you want?" JJ rudely asked.

"I don't need an attitude from you. Put this dress on." Thomas said as he handed the dress to JJ.

"Why? I'm fine with the dress I'm wearing." JJ said.

"You need to look sellable." Thomas said.

"I don't need to look sellable! I'm not putting this damn dress on!" JJ shouted as she threw the dress at Thomas.

At that moment, Thomas violently drags JJ out of the cage and begins to punch and kick her. After beating her, Thomas drags JJ over to the deep freezer and opens it, forcing her to look at the bodies of Christina and Samantha.

"If you ever disobey me again, you're going to end up like these two. Do you understand me?" Thomas asked while pointing at Christina and Samantha.

"Yes, I'm s-sorry." JJ said in a shaky voice.

"Now go put the damn dress on. You can change in the bathroom over there." Thomas said while pointing at the bathroom.

Meanwhile with Hotch, Morgan and Martin…

After listening to JJ being beaten, Morgan is very angry.

"We should have never agreed to let her do this. She wasn't ready." Morgan said.

"JJ knew of the danger she could be getting into. She just panicked." Hotch explained.

"She nearly got herself killed in there!" Morgan shouted.

Back to JJ…

JJ slowly walks out of the bathroom wearing the dress Thomas gave her. She is barely recognizable because her face is badly swollen and bruised. Underneath the dress, her abdomen is covered in bruises because Thomas had repeatedly kicked her. She believes that she may have a few fractured ribs. Thomas is standing there with a creepy evil smile on his face.

"Now was that so difficult? That dress looks lovely on you. The auction is tomorrow. I really hope you're sellable because I would hate to see you end up like Christina and Samantha." Thomas said with an evil laugh as he shoved JJ back into the cage with the other women. He then leaves the room. JJ sinks down into a corner of the cage. She just really wants this undercover assignment to be over. Hotch and Morgan was right. She wasn't ready for this field of work. She wished Prentiss were here instead because would have never panic during an undercover assignment.

Meanwhile with Jack…

It is 6:00 pm, Jack and the Harlow family is eating dinner. They are eating steak and chicken Alfredo with cherry cool-aid. While everyone else is talking, Tristian is cutting Jack's steak for him.

"Does anyone want to tell me about their day at school?" Brenda asked.

"I won a spelling bee today. My teacher says that I spelled every word right." Aubrey said.

"That's great honey. I'm really proud of you." Brenda said.

"I got three gold stars for being good today." Lucas said.

"That's wonderful sweetie. Tristian let Jack do that." Brenda said as she noticed Tristian cutting Jack's steak.

"But he's five. I don't want him to cut himself." Tristian said.

"He needs to learn. Give him the knife." Brenda said.

"You helped Lucas with his steak. Why can't I help Jack?"

"We're not talking about Lucas. We're talking about Jack being responsible. Give him the knife."

Tristian hands Jack the knife and says, "Be careful, okay?"

"Okay." Jack quietly said.

"Serena, how was your day today?" Brenda asked.

"My day was great. Elena and I are friends again."

"I've always liked Elena. I'm glad you two are friends again." Brenda said.

While Jack is trying to cut his steak, a few pieces end up on the floor.

"Mommy, Jack threw his food on the floor." Lucas complained.

"He didn't throw it. He accidently dropped it." Tristian said.

"Jack, since you're going to throw your food everywhere, then you don't need to eat. Go dispose of you food in the garbage disposal." Brenda said.

"I'm sorry." Jack said.

"It's a little too late for that." Brenda said.

"Mom, you're being unreasonable. It was an accident and he did say that he was sorry." Tristian said, defending Jack.

"Tristian, stay out of this. Jack, go take your food to the garbage disposal." Brenda said.

Without saying a word, Jack gets up from his chair and walks into the kitchen with his plate. On his way to the kitchen, Jack trips over a step and falls, causing the plate to shatter. When Jack fell, he landed on top of the plate, causing a very tiny piece of glass to go through his chest. He is immediately on his knees, picking up the pieces of glass with his bare hands. Everyone rushes to the kitchen. When Brenda gets there, she violently pulls the small child off the floor and smacks him across the face. There is a blood stain on his shirt.

"What is the matter with you? You just broke a very expensive plate!" Brenda shouted at Jack.

"I'm s-sorry." A scared Jack said as he stuttered.

"It's alright Jack. We know you didn't mean to break the plate. Are you alright?" Tristian asked as he noticed the blood stain on Jack's shirt and Jack's blood covered hands.

"That is another damn thing I'm getting sick of! You have got to stop feeling sorry for this damn kid! He's fine!" Brenda shouted at Tristian.

"He is not okay! His hands are bleeding and he needs to get to the hospital! There might be a piece of glass lodged in his chest!"

"That isn't my problem. Patrick get Jack out of here, but don't take him to Lucas' room. I don't want Lucas picking up any of his bad habits. Take him to the basement." Brenda said.

Patrick grabs Jack and is about to take him to the basement, when Tristian blocks the doorway to the basement.

"Move, Tristian." Patrick said.

"You're not putting him in that basement." Tristian shouted.

"Mom wants him in the basement." Serena said.

"I don't care what mom wants!" Tristian shouted.

"Tristian do as you are told and get out of your brother's way." Brenda said.

"Fine, I'll move. Jack won't be in that basement for long because I'm calling the cops. This has gone on long enough. Jack, I'm sorry, but your father needs to know how you're really being treated here." Tristian said as he walked towards the phone on the counter. When he picked up the phone, he felt a heavy object slam into the back of his head. Everything went blurry and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Tristian!" Jack screamed in terror.

Brenda sits a paperweight on the counter and everyone is shocked.

"Why did you do that for, mommy?" Aubrey asked.

"Because Tristian was going to get us all in trouble. You don't want to be in trouble do you?"

"No mommy." Aubrey said.

"Is he dead?" Serena asked.

"No he's just unconscious. He'll be okay. Patrick and Serena, I need you two to take Tristian to the backyard and lock him in the garden shed. I'll put Jack in the basement." Brenda said.

While Patrick and Serena take Tristian out to the shed, Brenda drags a protesting Jack to the basement.

"I'm sorry Miss Harlow. Please don't send me to the basement. I promise I won't do anything bad again." Jack begged.

"It's a little too late for that. Now get down those damn stairs." Brenda demanded.

"No." Jack said.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice." Brenda said.

When Jack just stood there, Brenda figured he chose the hard way. So she shoved the small child down the stairs. She watched him roll down each step until he finally hit the cold concrete floor. After that, she walked out and locked the door. Jack was unconscious for about five minutes. When he woke up, he didn't know where he was, but then he remembered. He was in the basement. It was completely dark and Jack's couldn't see anything at all. He slowly stood up and began to fill around for a light switch. When he couldn't find one, Jack slowly climbed the stairs. It took him nearly ten minutes to climb the stairs because he was in an extreme amount of pain. His left ankle was sprained and so was his left wrist. His chest has been hurting ever since he fell on the broken glass. A bluish and purple bruise was forming on the right side of his face. And his hands were covered in blood from the glass. When Jack finally reached the top of the stairs, he felt around the wall and finally found a light switch. He flipped the switch on and the entire basement lit up. He then reached for the door, but it won't open. After an unsuccessful attempt of trying escape, Jack slowly and painfully makes his way down the stairs. He then lied down on the concrete floor, held Hotch's watch up to his ear and began to cry as he listened to the ticking sound coming from the watch. Jack had been unable to cry for a while, but now he had finally broken. Things were looking bad for Jack Hotchner. As Jack lay there crying, he felt a warm hand on his face and heard a voice softly calling his name.

"Jack." The voice softly called.

Jack knew that voice from anywhere, but it couldn't possibly be who he thinks it is. He raises his head and is surprised to see his mommy, Haley Hotchner. She looked so beautiful. She is wearing a beautiful long white gown and a bright light glowed around her.

"Mommy?" A surprised Jack asked.

"Yes sweetie, it's me." Haley said as she smiled at the child.

Jack threw his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry mommy." Jack said as he sobbed.

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because I told daddy that I would be okay, but I'm not okay. I only told him that because if I told him what was really happening, then he couldn't work anymore. But now, I really want to go home." Jack said as tears streamed down his face.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Jack, I promise you that everything will be alright."

"How do you know?"

"You're just going to have to trust me. I love you Jack." A smiling Haley said as she faded away.

"I love you too mommy." Jack said. He then lied down on the floor and fell asleep and began to dream.

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><p>End of chapter seventeen. I haven't decided yet, but chapter eighteen may be about the dreams that Jack is having at the end of this chapter. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Please review.<p> 


	18. Chapter 18 Dreams

Description: During his first night in the basement, Jack has a few dreams.

Disclaimer: Brenda Harlow is mine. Everyone else is not mine.

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><p><strong>"In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own." ~Steven Kloves, <em>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban<em>**

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><p>For some odd reason, Jack found himself standing in the middle of his and Lucas' bedroom. A few minutes ago, he was in the basement, covered in cuts and bruises. He wondered how he ended up in the bedroom without any injuries. And standing next to him was Prentiss.<p>

"Aunt Emily, what are you doing here?" A confused Jack asked.

"I'm here to take you home." Prentiss said as she began to put clothes and toys into boxes.

"Where's Miss Harlow and everyone else?" Jack asked.

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere. I haven't really been looking for them." Prentiss said.

Lucas walks in and notices that some of his toys are in the boxes.

"Hey those are my toys!" Lucas whined as Jack rolled his eyes.

"Lyle, sweetie, when life gives you lemons, what do you get?" Prentiss asked.

"My name is Lucas and mommy says you get lemonade from lemons." Lucas said.

"I'm sorry Leroy, but your mommy is wrong. You cry when life gives you lemons." Prentiss said.

"My name is Lucas!"

"Lenny, you are hilarious. Well anyway, Jack and I have got to go now. Tell your mom I said hi. Goodbye Leo." Prentiss said as she and Jack walked out the door.

The next thing Jack knew, he was in the movie theater with Morgan, Reid, Kevin and Garcia.

"Did you know that over three hundred and sixteen actresses auditioned for the role of Julianna and only thirty five actors auditioned for the role of Albie? Also did you know that it cost over twelve million dollars to make this film? And on another note, this is Director Rowan Niles first animated…" Reid was saying before Garcia interrupted him.

"Reid, honey, we're really glad about all your movie trivia, but could you please shut up and enjoy the movie?" Garcia asked.

"Hey where's Aunt Emily?" A confused Jack asked.

"She's on vacation in Italy. She left a few days ago." Morgan said.

"No she isn't. She was with me a few minutes ago." Jack said.

"Oh no sweetie. You've been with us this entire time." Garcia said.

"I'm confused." Jack said.

"Nothing to worry about kid. Here, have some popcorn." Kevin said as he handed a bucket of popcorn to Jack.

Jack took the popcorn and began to enjoy the movie, but as soon as he began to enjoy the movie, he was flashed out of there and found himself with Rossi, playing video games.

"What am I doing here?" Jack asked confused.

"You're playing video games. Don't you remember? You said you wanted to try the new video games I bought. So I invited you over here to play them." Rossi explained.

"First I was with Emily. Then I was with Derek, Spencer, Kevin and Penelope. And now I'm with you. What's happening?" Jack asked.

"This is your dream, Jack. Whatever comes to your mind happens." Rossi said.

"I'm dreaming!" Jack asked, shocked.

"Yeah, I thought you knew that by now." Rossi said.

"That explains everything." Jack said as he began to realize what was going on. "Thanks Uncle Dave."

"You're welcome, Jack. I'm glad I could help you."

Within seconds, Jack was flashed out of there and found himself with JJ, Will and Henry at an amusement part. They are all laughing and riding a Ferris wheel. Since Rossi had explained that this was all a dream, Jack was no longer confused. He just wants to be happy and that's how he feels right now.

"Jack, are you having fun today?" JJ asked with a smile.

Jack smiled back at her and said, "Yes I am, Aunt JJ."

"Do you know what you and Henry want to do next?" Will asked.

"I don't know what Henry wants to do, but I know what I want to do." A smiling Jack said as he was flashed out of there. He was now with his father, Aaron Hotchner. They are playing with action figures and laughing.

"This is really fun daddy. I like spending time with you." Jack said.

"I enjoy spending time with you too." Hotch said.

"I wish mommy was here." Jack said.

When Jack said that, a smiling Haley appeared.

"Hello Jack." Haley said.

"Mommy!" Jack happily exclaimed as he threw his arms around Haley and hugged her.

"I'm very glad to see you, sweetie. I noticed that you and your daddy are playing with some toys. Can I play too?" Haley asked.

"Sorry, no girls allowed." Hotch jokingly said.

"Mommy can play too. Here mommy, you can play with this one." Jack said as he handed Haley an action figure.

The three of them laughed and played for a while, until all of a sudden, Jack felt ice cold water splash on him. He quickly woke up to see an angry Brenda kneeling beside him.

"Why the hell didn't you wake up when I first called your name?" Brenda rudely asked.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Harlow, but I didn't hear you." Jack said as he is now shivering from the water.

"Here's your damn breakfast." Brenda said as she placed a bowl of unknown food in front of Jack.

"Why does it smell funny?" Jack asked.

"It's dog food. I won't have you eating any of the food in my house. So I drove to the store late last night and picked up a few cans for you."

Jack pushed the bowl away from him and said, "I'm not eating that."

"Don't tell me what you will or won't do! I am the adult here and you will do what I tell you to do! There are kids who don't get to eat! You should be happy that you get something to eat!" Brenda angrily shouted.

"Nobody feeds their kids dog food." Jack said.

"You're not my kid, now are you?" Brenda rudely asked.

Jack scoops up a handful of dog food and shoves it in Brenda's mouth. An angry Brenda spits the dog food out and begins to hit Jack.

"Ow! You're hurting me!" Jack cried as Brenda's fists connected with his face.

"Don't you ever do that again! Do you hear me?" Brenda shouted.

"I'm sorry! Please stop hitting me!" Jack begged.

Brenda stopped hitting Jack. She then walked up the stairs, exited the basement and locked the door behind her. A scared and cold Jack lay on the floor and began to sob. He wished that he would have told Hotch the truth. He just knew that he wouldn't make it out of here alive. If he did, then it would be a miracle.

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><p>End of chapter eighteen. Please review. Chapter nineteen will be up soon.<p> 


	19. Chapter 19 Busted

Description: Thomas Wilson's human trafficking ring is finally busted.

**Author Note: This chapter is rated T for language.**

Disclaimer: Martin, Thomas, and the women inside the cage with JJ is mine. Nothing else is mine.

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><p><strong>"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." ~Abraham Lincoln<strong>

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><p>It is the day of the auction and there are over thirty men in Thomas Wilson's secret room. One of these men is Derek Morgan. He is undercover. The cage full of women is covered with a large sheet. Thomas enters the room.<p>

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Welcome to my home. I'm sure you are all eager to buy a few ladies. So let's get started." Thomas said as he pulled the sheet off the cage. The first woman he grabbed is a battered JJ. Morgan wants to kill Thomas for what he did to her, but he stays calm.

"This is Jennifer Jareau. She's a bit of a feisty one. So you'll have to excuse the bruises. Who would like to make the first offer?" Thomas asked as he tightly gripped JJ's arm.

"Five thousand dollars." One man said.

"Would anyone care to raise that price?"Thomas asked.

"Ten thousand dollars." Another man said.

"The pricing seems to be getting higher. Anymore bids?" Thomas asked.

"Seventy five thousand dollars." Morgan said.

"One hundred thousand dollars." Another man said.

"I see we got a bidding war going on here." Thomas said. He then whispered to JJ and said, "Looks like you're gonna live after all."

"One hundred and seventy five thousand dollars." Morgan said.

"Two hundred thousand dollars." The other man said.

"Three million dollars." Morgan said.

Everyone was shocked at Morgan's bidding.

"Wow that certainly is a lot of money. Anyone want to keep this bidding going?" Thomas asked.

When no one else placed a bid, Thomas announced Morgan as the winner.

"Congratulations sir, you have won this beautiful lady." Thomas said.

As soon as Thomas said that, Hotch, Martin and a group of armed Detectives rush into the room.

"Nobody move!" Hotch shouted.

The men all quickly surrender and they are all handcuffed, but Thomas isn't going to go down easily. He quickly grabs JJ and holds a gun to her head.

"He's got a gun!" Morgan shouted as he quickly aimed his gun at Thomas.

"Let her go, Thomas." Hotch said as he aimed his gun at Thomas.

"Take one step closer and I'll kill her!" Thomas warned as he pressed the gun on JJ's head.

"You won't get away with this." JJ said.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch." Thomas said to JJ.

"She's right Thomas. You pull that trigger and you won't get far." Martin said.

"I guess I have nothing to lose then." Thomas said as he was about to pull the trigger, but before he was able to pull the trigger, Martin pulled the trigger on his gun and shot Thomas in the shoulder. Thomas quickly drops his gun and grabs his shoulder in pain. Morgan rushes over there and handcuffs him. Hotch goes to check on JJ.

"Are you okay?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah I'm okay. Can someone please get these women out of this cage?" JJ asked.

A few moments later, the cage door opened and the women were finally free. One by one, the women exited the cage. The last one out of the cage was Peyton. She stopped in front of JJ, smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you." Peyton said to JJ.

"You're welcome." JJ said with a smile.

Five minutes later…

Thomas is in the back of an ambulance, yelling at Martin.

"I can't believe you shot me! You damn son of a bitch!" Thomas angrily shouted in pain.

"Yeah well, you're lucky that bullet didn't go in your head instead." Martin said as he shut the door and watched the ambulance drive away.

Meanwhile with JJ, Hotch and Morgan…

JJ is sitting in the back of an ambulance, while a paramedic is taking care of her injuries. Hotch and Morgan are talking to her.

"How are you feeling?" Morgan asked JJ.

"I feel like I just got hit by a train. I'm sorry, but this undercover work is just not for me." JJ said. "Is anyone going to pick up the case on the women who were sold?"

"The Missing Person's Unit will be looking into the case. They're going to do everything they can to bring those women home." Hotch said.

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><p>End of chapter nineteen. Sorry it's short. Please review. Chapter twenty will be up soon.<p> 


	20. Chapter 20 Dead

Description: Something happens to Jack and Tristian.

Disclaimer: The Harlow family is mine.

**Author Note: This chapter is rated T for language.**

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><p><strong>"In violence we forget who we are." ~Mary McCarthy<strong>

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><p>For the past five days now, Jack has been beaten and tortured by Brenda and her children. He hasn't eaten since Brenda tried to force him to eat dog food. Hotch hasn't been able to visit him because he's been busy with work. Jack wanted to tell Hotch the truth, but he was afraid to because Brenda was standing next to him as he spoke to his father on the phone. Tonight, as a broken and battered Jack, lay on the basement floor, about to give up on life, when all of a sudden, he hears a familiar voice.<p>

"Jack, get up." The voice said.

Jack slowly rises up and is shocked, but very happy to see Tristian kneeling beside him.

"Tristian, you're here!" Jack exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down, Jack. Are you okay?" Tristian asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you okay too?"

"I'm fine. We got to get out of here." Tristian said as he picked up Jack and carried him out of the basement. When they got to the kitchen, they were stopped by Brenda, Patrick, Aubrey, Serena and Lucas.

"Just where do you two are going at this time of night?" Brenda asked.

"I'm taking Jack out of here." Tristian said.

"You two are not going anywhere." Brenda said as she grabbed Jack from Tristian.

"Give him back to me, you stupid bitch!" Tristian shouted as he tried to grab Jack.

Jack managed to free himself from Brenda, but was then grabbed by Serena.

"Let me go!" Jack shouted.

"Let him go, Serena!" Tristian shouted as he tried to get to Jack, but Brenda was blocking him."Get out of my way, mom!"

"No, Tristian!" Brenda shouted.

When Brenda wouldn't move, Tristian shoved her out of the way and rushed over to Jack. But before he could get to Jack, he was face to face with Patrick. He then felt a sharp object pierce through his abdomen. He looked down and noticed that the bottom half of his shirt was soaked in blood. He dropped to the floor and lay motionless. A shocked Patrick dropped a knife and everyone began screaming.

"Tristian!" A frightened Jack shouted.

"Oh my God! He's dead!" Serena shouted.

Aubrey and Lucas were covering their eyes.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to kill him." Patrick said to Brenda.

"It's okay Patrick. You did what you had to do. Aubrey and Lucas, I need you two to go to you rooms." Brenda said. "Serena, I need you to stay here with Aubrey and Lucas. Patrick and I need to go somewhere."

The children did as they were told.

"What are we going to do mom?" Patrick nervously asked.

"I need you to help me carry Tristian to the car in the garage." Brenda said. "Jack, stop crying and follow us."

Patrick and Brenda picked up Tristian's lifeless body and carried him to the garage. A crying Jack followed behind them. When they got to the garage, they placed Tristian in the trunk of the car. Jack was then shoved into the backseat of the car. Brenda then hands the keys to Patrick. "You drive."

One hour later…

The car has stopped at the parking lot of an old abandoned grocery store. While a frightened and crying Jack stayed in the backseat of the car, Brenda and Patrick lifted Tristian's body out of the trunk and dragged him into the building. After placing Tristian's body in the building, Brenda drags a crying Jack out of the car.

"Get out of the damn car!" Brenda angrily said as she grabbed Jack's arm and violently pulled him out of the car.

"I want to go home!" Jack cried.

"Shut up." Brenda said as she dragged the crying child into the building and shoved him next to Tristian.

"I want my daddy!" Jack said as he tried to stand up, but Brenda shoved him back down.

"What are we going to do with him?" Patrick asked.

"I want you to kill him." Brenda said.

Patrick was about to stab Jack, but then he stopped.

"I can't do this."

"Patrick, he has to die. You have to kill him." Brenda said.

"No mom!" Patrick shouted.

"You killed your own brother, but you won't kill someone who isn't related to you. What is the matter with you?"

"I didn't mean to kill Tristian."

Brenda grabs the knife from Patrick and stabs Jack with it. The knife went through his abdomen. Everything went blurry for Jack as he fell to the floor. Brenda then turned to Patrick and said, "Don't say one word about this to anyone. If you do, then we'll both end up going to prison. Do you understand?"

"Yeah I understand." Patrick said.

Brenda cleans her finger prints and Patrick's finger prints off the knife and places it in Tristian's hand. The two of them leave the building. As Jack lay there on the floor next to Tristian, nearly bleeding to death, he is going in and out of consciousness. He hopes someone will find him before its too late.

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><p>End of chapter 20. Please review. Chapter twenty one will be up soon.<p> 


	21. Chapter 21 Critical Condition

Description: Hotch recieves some bad news on Jack.

Disclaimer: I own Brenda and the doctors in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.

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><p><strong>"I promise you I will learn from my mistakes." Coldplay (Fix You)<strong>

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><p>It is the following morning and Hotch is about to leave for work when the phone rings.<p>

"Hello?" He asked as he answered the phone.

"Aaron, you need to get to St. James Hospital right away. Jack's been hurt." Brenda frantically said on the other end of the phone.

"Wait, what do you mean he's been hurt? Is he okay?" Hotch asked, worried.

"I'll explain everything to you when you get to the hospital." Brenda said as she hung up the phone.

Before Hotch left, he dialed a number on his cell phone. He waited for an answer.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

"Dave, it's me. I need you to tell Strauss that I can't come to work today. Something happened to Jack. He's in St. James Hospital." Hotch said.

"What happened?" Rossi asked, worried.

"I don't know. Brenda said that she'll tell me when I get to the hospital."

"I hope Jack's okay." Rossi said.

Two hours later…

Hotch has arrived at the hospital and he is talking to Brenda.

"What happened to Jack?" Hotch asked.

"This morning when I was cooking breakfast for the kids, I noticed that Jack and Tristian wasn't at the table. I checked both of their rooms and they weren't there. About twenty minutes later, two police officers show up. They told me that they found Tristian and Jack in an abandoned grocery store. They had both been stabbed. Tristian's was self inflicted. It was too late for him."

"Why would Tristian stab Jack?" Hotch asked, not realizing that Brenda had been lying to him.

"Aaron, do you remember the day you took Jack to the carnival and he had a black eye?" Brenda asked.

"Yeah he told me that he ran into the door." Hotch said.

"That isn't what happened. Tristian had been abusing Jack. Tristian is, I mean was a troubled teen. I would have called the police, but I guess I was just protecting my own child. I'm sorry Aaron. I just hope it's not too late for Jack" Brenda said.

"I'd like to see my son. Do you know where he is?"

"He's in room 215. I haven't gone in there or asked about his condition because I believe you should be the one to receive the information first."

"Thank you." Hotch said.

"You're welcome. I'm going to make a few phone calls. I decided to keep the kids out of school today." Brenda said.

Fifteen minutes later…

Hotch is sitting beside Jack's bedside. He is in a coma. The battered and lifeless child looks nothing like Jack. He is covered in cuts and bruises. The area where he was stabbed is stitched up. There are also a few stitches in his chest, where he had fallen on the glass plate. Hotch picks up Jack's hand and begins to talk to him.

"Jack, you really need to wake up. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'd give anything in the world to trade places with you right now."

"We all would." Rossi said.

Hotch turns around and see's his six team members standing in the doorway.

"When did you all get here?" Hotch asked.

"About five minutes ago. Mind if we come in?" Rossi asked.

"No, I don't mind. Come on in. Does Strauss know you all are here?" Hotch asked as his team stepped into the room.

"After you called me, I talked to Strauss and told her about Jack. She insisted that we be here with you. The case we were supposed to be working was given to another team of profilers." Rossi explained.

"You guys really don't have to be here." Hotch said.

"Hotch, we're a family. We're not going to let you go through this alone." Prentiss said.

"Thank you." Hotch said.

"Do you know who did this to him?" Morgan asked about Jack.

"Brenda told me that if was her fifteen year old son, Tristian. He had been abusing Jack. After he stabbed Jack, he stabbed himself to death." Hotch said.

At that moment, Jack flat lines and everyone begins to panic.

"Oh my God. What's happening to him?" A scared Garcia asked.

"We need some help in here!" JJ and Reid shouted.

A group of doctors rush in and immediately begin to work on Jack.

"You all are going to have to leave. We can't be distracted." One doctor said to the team. The seven profilers did as they were told and quickly rushed out of the room.

"We're losing him!" A doctor shouted.

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><p>End of chapter twenty one. Please review. Chapter twenty two will be up soon.<p> 


	22. Chapter 22 It's Not Your Time

Description: Hotch and the team recieve news on Jack's condition.

Disclaimer: I only own Tristian in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.

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><p><strong>"The guardian angels of life fly so high as to be beyond our sight, but they are always looking down upon us." ~Jean Paul Richter<strong>

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><p>Jack is standing in center of a bright white room, wearing a white tuxedo. There is a large set of golden doors. Jack looks around and sees Haley and Tristian smiling at him. Haley is wearing a white dress and Tristian is wearing a white tuxedo.<p>

"Where am I?" Jack asked confused.

"You're in Heaven." Tristian said.

"I'm dead?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but you're not supposed to be here." Haley said.

"I'm supposed to be in the place where are the bad people go?" A scared Jack asked.

"No sweetie. That's not what I mean. You're not supposed to be dead. You need to go back to your daddy." Haley said.

"I don't want to go back. I want to stay here." Jack said.

"Jack, it's not your time." Tristian said.

"Why can't it be my time?" Jack asked.

"Because your daddy needs you. If you die, then he'll be very sad." Haley explained.

"Maybe if I die, then daddy will get sad and die too. Then we can be a family again." Jack said.

"Sweetie, we're always going to be a family and we'll see each other again, but that time is just not today." Haley said.

"Jack, my mom has been telling everyone that I'm the one who abused and stabbed you. I need you to tell everyone the truth." Tristian said.

"I don't want people to think you're a bad person and I really don't want my daddy to be sad. So I guess I'm ready to go back now. I hope I don't get lost." Jack said.

"We'll help you find your way back, sweetie." Haley said as she and Tristian each grabbed a hold of Jack's hands.

"Are you ready?" Tristian asked Jack.

"Yes." Jack said.

A few moments later…

Hotch and his team is in the waiting area, anxiously waiting news on Jack. The doctor walks in and everyone quickly stands up.

"How is my son?" Hotch asked, afraid of what the answer might be. The others are afraid too.

"Mr. Hotchner, we had a very tough time trying to save him. We were about to give up on him, but he managed to come back to us. Your son is a fighter." The doctor said.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for saving my son." Hotch said as he shook the doctor's hand.

"You're welcome and your son is awake. He came out of the coma." The doctor said as everyone was surprised.

"Can we go see him?" An excited Garcia asked.

"Of course you can. I'm sure he's waiting for you all." The doctor said.

A few moments later…

Hotch and the team are all surrounding Jack's bedside. They are all happy to see him alive and well.

"Jack, you had us all scared there for a while." Rossi said.

"Everyone knows that nothing can stop Jack Hotchner." Morgan said with a smile.

"How are you feeling buddy?" Hotch asked his son.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry I lied to you, daddy." Jack said.

"You don't have to apologize for anything. Tristian can never hurt you again." Hotch said.

"Tristian didn't do this to me. Miss Harlow did. Tristian was the only person in that family who was nice to me. Everyone else was really mean to me." Jack explained as everyone in that room was shocked.

"Are you saying that Tristian didn't stab you?" Hotch asked.

"Tristian was already dead when I was stabbed. Patrick stabbed Tristian and he was supposed to stab me too, but he didn't want too. Miss Harlow took the knife from him and stabbed me." Jack explained.

"Why didn't Patrick want to stab you?" Hotch asked.

"Because he said that he didn't mean to stab Tristian." Jack said.

"Are you sure it was Brenda who hurt you?" Hotch asked.

"Yes daddy. I'm sure it was her." Jack said.

With that, Hotch turns and is about to leave the room when Rossi grabs his arm.

"Aaron, don't leave your son." Rossi said.

Hotch frees his arm and angrily says, "I'm not going to let Brenda get away with this."

"You're right Aaron. Brenda should not get away with this, but you shouldn't leave Jack here. He needs you. Morgan, Prentiss and I will go find Brenda." Rossi said.

About an hour later…

Rossi, Morgan and Prentiss arrive at the Harlow residence. Morgan rings the doorbell and a few moments later, the three Agents are face to face with Patrick Harlow.

"Are you Patrick Harlow?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah that's my name. Can I help you?" Patrick asked.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to come down to the station with us." Morgan said as he held up his badge.

Patrick sighs and goes with them. Before they are able to step off the porch, Serena rushes out the door.

"Patrick, what's going on?" Serena asked worried.

"Everything's going to be fine, Serena. Just go back inside and take care of Aubrey and Lucas." Patrick said.

As Patrick, Rossi, Morgan and Prentiss walk away; Serena begins to angrily shout at the three Agents.

"You have no proof that he did anything wrong! You can't take him!"

Prentiss walks up to Serena and says, "I know you're upset, but do you really think that making a scene is going to make it any better?"

Serena shoves Prentiss and shouts, "Get out of my face!"

Prentiss stands back up and stays, "If you don't want to take a trip to the juvenile detention center, then I suggest that you go back into the house and take care of your little brother and sister."

"My mother will hear about this." Serena said as she stormed into the house and slammed the door shut behind her.

Prentiss walks back over to Rossi, Patrick and Morgan.

"Patrick, can you tell us where your mother is right now?" Prentiss asked.

"She had to pick up a few things at the grocery store. She left about twenty minutes ago."

"I'll send someone over there to bring her down to the station." Rossi said.

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><p>End of chapter twenty two. Sorry for the long wait. Please review. I'll try to have chapter twenty three up soon.<p> 


	23. Chapter 23 Retirement

Description: Strauss offers Hotch his retirement.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p><strong>"Retire from work, but not from life." ~M.K. Soni<strong>

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><p>It has been a week since Jack had been hurt. He was released from the hospital two days ago. Brenda and Patrick are now in jail waiting for their trial. Serena, Aubrey and Lucas are in the custody of their father. And at this moment, Jack and Hotch are about to eat lunch, when someone knocks at the door. Hotch opens the door and see's Strauss standing there.<p>

"Good afternoon Aaron. May I please come in?" Strauss asked.

"Yes of course." Hotch said as he stepped aside for Strauss.

"Jack, can you say hi to Mrs. Strauss?"

"Hello Mrs. Strauss." Jack said.

"Hello sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Strauss asked.

"I feel fine." Jack said.

"I'm glad you're feeling that way." Strauss said as she smiled at the child. She then turned to Hotch and asked, "May I speak with you for a few moments?"

"Sure. Jack, how about you take your sandwich to the living room and watch cartoons?" Hotch said.

"It's okay Jack. You don't have to eat at the table." Hotch said.

"Okay daddy." Jack said as he picked up his sandwich and raced for the couch in the living room.

"Can I get you anything? Water or something?" Hotch asked Strauss.

"No thanks. I'm fine. Is he really okay?" Strauss asked about Jack.

"Physically, yes. Mentally and emotionally, no. He's been having nightmares and he blames himself for Tristian dying. Tristian died while protecting my son and I will be forever grateful for that."

"Brenda turned her own children against your son, but she was unable to get Tristian on her side." Strauss said.

"Tristian was able to see the evil that Brenda possessed. His siblings only saw her as their mother." Hotch said.

"When does the trial begin?" Strauss asked.

"Three months from now." Hotch said.

"I really hope things go your way. I guess I should tell you why I really came here. I want to offer you, your retirement." Strauss said.

Hotch was silent for a few moments before speaking.

"I appreciate the offer, but I really think I should discuss this with Jack. I know he's only five, but his opinion matters to me." Hotch said.

"I understand and I agree with you. Just because Jack is only a five year old child, it don't mean that he shouldn't be included in the decision." Strauss said.

"Thank you." Hotch said.

"You're welcome and take your time with the decision. Have a nice day." Strauss said as she walked out the door.

Five minutes later…

Jack is sitting on the couch watching cartoons, when Hotch enters the room and sits down next to him.

"Hey buddy. Did you finish your sandwich?"

"Yep." Jack said.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Hotch asked.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Jack asked.

"Mrs. Strauss asked me if I wanted to go into retirement. And I was wondering what you thought about that." Hotch said.

"What's retirement?" Jack asked.

"Retirement is where I don't have to work anymore. I get to spend more time with you. Do you think I should take it?" Hotch asked.

Jack was silent for a few moments before speaking.

"I like when you help people, but I don't want you to go back. I'm sorry daddy, but I want you to stay here with me. If you go back to work, then I'll have to live with another foster family and I don't want to do that."

"It's okay Jack. You don't have to apologize for anything. If you want me to go to stay home with you, then I will. And there are a lot of people like me, who help other people. You never have to go to another foster family again." Hotch said.

"Thanks daddy." Jack said as he hugged Hotch.

"You're welcome buddy." Hotch said.

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><p>End of chapter twenty three. Sorry it's short. Please review. Chapter twenty four will be up soon.<p> 


	24. Chapter 24 The Sleepover

Description: Jack spends the nigh at JJ and Will's house.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this chapter belongs to me.

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><p><strong>"What is a home without children? Quiet." ~Henny Youngman<strong>

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><p>Jack has been out of the hospital for over a month now. All of his wounds have healed up, but the nightmares won't leave him alone. In fact, it's the same nightmare every night. Brenda is chasing him through a maze with a very large knife. She was the one who did the most damage to Jack. So it makes sense that only she is chasing him. There doesn't seem to be an end to the maze because everywhere he turns, is a dead end. He feels safe when he wakes up, but he would really like to finish the dream. Even though it terrifies him.<p>

At this moment, Jack and Hotch are playing with legos, when the phone rings.

"Hello." Hotch said as he answered the phone.

"Hello Aaron. This is Will." Will said on the other end of the phone.

"Oh hi, Will. Is everything okay?" Hotch asked concerned.

"Yeah everything's fine. I was wondering if Jack would like to spend the night here. Henry's been asking about him." Will said.

"I think Jack would love to spend the night with Henry. Let me go ask him." Hotch said as he sat the phone down on the counter. He then walked back into the living room and said to Jack, "Hey Jack, Will's on the phone and he said that Henry really wants you to spend the night. Do you want to?"

"Yeah!" Jack excitedly said.

"Okay, I'll tell Will. Hotch said as he walked back to the counter and picked up the phone."Will, Jack agreed to spend the night."

"That's great. Henry will be happy about that."

"I'll bring Jack over around 3:30."

Later that day…

It is now 6:15 pm and Jack, Henry and Will are eating dinner. JJ is working a case tonight. They are eating tacos and drinking blueberry kool-aid. Henry begins to play with his food.

"Henry, don't play with your food." Will said.

Henry does what he is told and begins to eat. A few minutes later, he begins to slap the top of his high chair table.

"I want mommy!" Henry shouted and then began to laugh.

"Henry, don't shout. Mommy will be home as soon as she catches the bad guy." Will said.

"Uncle Will, may I please have some more kool-aid?" Jack asked.

"Yes you may. I'll go get the pitcher for you." Will said as he stood up and walked to the counter to retrieve the pitcher full of kool-aid. While Will is in the kitchen, Henry throws a piece of food onto the floor.

"Pick that up." Henry demanded.

"Can you say please?" Jack asked.

"Pease." Henry said as he mispronounced the word.

Jack picks the food up off the floor and throws it away in the trash. When he returns to the table, Henry is evilly glaring at him. Will returns to the table a few seconds later and pours some kool-aid into Jack's glass.

"Thank you, Uncle Will." Jack said.

"You're welcome." Will said as he sat down in his chair at the table. He then looks up and notices that Henry has an evil glare on his face. "Henry, what's wrong?"

"I threw a piece of food on the floor and he threw it away." Henry said as he pointed at Jack.

"Jack did the right thing, Henry. The floor has germs on it. You don't want to get sick, do you?" Will asked.

"I'm telling mommy." Henry said, ignoring Will's question.

Will just laughed and said, "I'm sorry Henry, but you have to wait until she comes home and I think she'll agree with Jack to."

An hour later…

Will is washing the dishes and Jack and Henry are running around the house, playing. While Jack and Henry are playing, Jack accidently runs into a small table and breaks a vase. Will rushes into the hallway, where Jack and Henry are. When he gets there, he see's Henry just standing there and jack is standing against the wall, staring at the floor. There are pieces of glass on the floor.

"Are you boys okay?" Will asked.

"Jack broke it. Bad boy!" Henry shouted as he pointed at Jack.

"No Henry. Jack's not a bad boy. He didn't mean to break the vase." Will said.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Will." Jack quietly said.

"It's okay, Jack. I'm not mad at you." Will said.

Henry hugs Jack and says, "Don't be sad Jack. I'm not mad either."

Jack and Will both laugh at what Henry had just said.

"Thanks Henry. I'm glad you're not mad. Jack said.

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><p>End of chapter twenty four. Please tell me what you thought.<p> 


	25. Chapter 25 Nightmares

Description: Jack has a nightmare and Hotch comforts him.

Disclaimer: I only own Brenda Harlow in this chapter. Hotch and Jack belong to CBS.

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><p><strong>"They say that life is full of surprises. That our dreams can really come true. Then again, so can our nightmares." ~Unknown Author<strong>

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><p><em>Jack suddenly found himself standing outside in front of maize. And with him, is the monster, also known as Brenda Harlow. She is holding a very large knife and smiling evilly at the child.<em>

_"Hello Jack." Brenda evilly said._

_"HHello Miss Harlow. WWhat are you ddoing here?" A frightened Jack asked as he stuttered._

_"You silly stupid little boy. You can't even talk right." Brenda said as she laughed at Jack. "We're going to play a little game. You like games, don't you?"_

_Jack gulped and said, "YYes Miss Harlow. I like to pplay ggames. WWhat kind of game ddo you want to pplay?"_

_"You're going to run through this maize and I'm going to chase you. If you find your way out, then I'll let you live. But if I catch you, well then, I guess its bye bye Jack." Brenda said as she held up the knife. "To be fair, I'll give you a five minute headstart. When the five minutes is up, I'll enter the maize. Okay, ready set go!" _

_Jack turned around and began to run as fast as his little legs would allow him. Things were not looking good for Jack because everywhere he would turn, he would run into a dead end. Moments later, he hears a loud ringing noise and that could only mean one thing. Five minutes have passed. Jack stops dead in his tracks, too scared to move._

_"The five minutes is over, Jack! I'm going to get you! You better run!"Brenda evilly shouted._

_Jack began to run again. He silently prayed that he would find his way out of the maize. He looks back and see's that Brenda is no more than a few feet behind him. She is smiling evilly at him._

_"Game over, Jack!" Brenda shouted as she reached for the child, but before she could touch him, Jack began to run faster. This time, there was a huge gap between the two of them._

_"Get back here! You little brat!" Brenda shouted._

_"Leave me alone!" Jack shouted as he continued to run from the monster. He suddenly feels a pair of hands on his shoulders and hears someone calling his name._

"Jack." The voice said.

"Let me go!" Jack shouted as he began to fight.

"Jack, it's okay. It's just me. You're having a nightmare."

Jack suddenly wakes up and see's Hotch staring at him with a concern look on his face. He quickly sits up and wraps his small arms around Hotch's waist.

"You're alright buddy. You were just having a nightmare." Hotch said to his son as he held him.

"It was a really scary dream." Jack said.

"It seemed like a really scary one. I noticed that you've been having nightmares every night now and you know what?"

"What daddy?" Jack asked as he looked up at his father, but still had his arms wrapped around Hotch's waist.

"Maybe if you tell me about the nightmares, then they might go away. Do you want to tell me about them?" Hotch asked.

Jack sighed and said, "It's the same nightmare every night. Miss Harlow makes me run through this really big maize. She has a really big knife and she tells me that if I can get out, she'll let me live. But if she catches me, then she'll kill me. She likes to call it a game. I can never find my way out because everywhere I go, it's just a dead end. Miss Harlow hasn't caught me yet, but she almost has."

"And she never will catch you. Jack, you're safe now. Nothing can harm you. I promise." Hotch said.

"I just wish that I could find my way out of the maize. Maybe if I do, then maybe I won't have the nightmare anymore." Jack said.

"It will be over soon, Jack." Hotch said.

"You promise?" Jack asked.

"Yes I promise. Now how about we go get some breakfast? Chocolate chip pancakes sound okay?" Hotch asked.

"I love chocolate chip pancakes!" Jack exclaimed.

"Me too." Hotch said as he picked up his son. "I'll let you help cook the pancakes."

"Okay daddy." Jack said.

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><p>End of chapter twenty five. Sorry it's short. Please tell me what you thought. Chapter twenty six will be up soon.<p> 


	26. Chapter 26 Justice

**Description: The verdict on Brenda and Patrick Harlow is decided.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the judge, two lawyers and Edward in this chapter. Nothing else is mine.**

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><p><strong>"Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished." ~William Ernest Hocking<strong>

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><p>It is 9:15 in the morning and finally the day of the trial. All the seats in the courtroom are filled. There are two lawyers there. One is a young man of about thirty five years with short brown hair and green eyes. His name is Austin Emerson. He is Hotch's lawyer. The other is a woman of about forty years with short dark blonde hair and brown eyes. Her name is Laura Taylor and she is Brenda and Patrick's lawyer. Moments later, the guard speaks.<p>

"All rise for Judge Locklynn."

Everyone stands as an elderly man walks in and sits down.

"You may be seated." The guard said as everyone sat down.

"The State of Virginia vs. Brenda and Patrick Harlow. Counselor Emerson, you may call your first witness." Locklynn said.

"Your honor, I would like to call Aaron Hotchner to the stand." Emerson said.

Hotch walks to the stand and sits down.

"Mr. Hotchner, could you please tell the courtroom why you placed your five year old son Jack in foster care?" Emerson asked.

"It was the only choice I had." Hotch said.

"Would you care to explain why there was no other option?" Emerson asked.

"I was returning to work and I couldn't leave Jack with my brother because Sean lives in New York. And Jack's Aunt Jessica refused to take care of him." Hotch said.

"Why had she refused to take care of him?"

"She said that she didn't want a constant reminder of her sister Haley." Hotch said.

"Haley was your wife, right?"

"Yes she was, but when she died, we were divorced."

"How did she die?"

"She was murdered by George Foyet."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you blame Jessica for anything that happened to Jack while he was in foster care?" Emerson asked.

No I do not. She didn't know that Jack would be put in danger. None of us knew." Hotch said.

"While Jack was living with the Harlow's, were you allowed to visit him?" Emerson asked.

"Yes I was." Hotch said.

"How many times did you visit him?"

"I don't know the exact number of visits, but I would visit him as much as I could."

"And during those visits, did you notice anything different about your son?"

"The day I picked him up to go to the fair, he had a black eye. I asked him what had happened and he told me that he ran into the door." Hotch said.

"And you believed him?" Emerson asked.

"Yes I believed him." Hotch said.

"Why did you believe him?"

"Because Jack never lied to me before and I just assumed that he was telling the truth."

"And when did you find out about the abuse?" Emerson asked.

"The day Jack was brought to the hospital when he was stabbed." Hotch said.

"What did Brenda say happened to Jack?" Emerson asked.

"She told me that her son Tristian had taken Jack to an abandoned building and stabbed him. He then turned the knife on himself and committed suicide." Hotch said.

"But that isn't what happened, is it?" Emerson asked.

"No it isn't. When Jack woke up from the coma, he told me what had really happened." Hotch said.

"What did Jack tell you?" Emerson asked.

"He told me that Patrick had stabbed Tristian. And Brenda was the one who stabbed him." Hotch said.

"Thank you Mr. Hotchner. You may step down now. You're honor, I would now like to call Jessica Brooks to the stand." Emerson said.

Hotch exited the stand and Jessica entered the stand.

"Miss Brooks, is it true that when Mr. Hotchner returned to work, you refused to look after his son, Jack? Your own nephew?" Emerson asked.

Jessica was silent for a few moments.

"Answer the question please, Miss Brooks." Emerson said.

"Yes it's true." Jessica said.

Why had you refused to take care of him? Do you blame Jack for what happened to your sister?"

"No of course I don't. Jack did nothing wrong. I just thought that if I took care of him, it would upset me because he looks so much like Haley. And I didn't want him to see me upset." Jessica said as tears began to fill her eyes.

"After you found out what had happened to Jack at the Harlow's, do you regret not taking him into your home?" Emerson asked.

"Yes I do regret it. If I had agreed to take care of him while Aaron was away, then none of this would have happened." Jessica said.

"Thank you Miss Brooks. You may step down now. Your honor, I'd like to call Serena Harlow to the stand." Emerson said.

Jessica stepped down from the stand as Serena entered the stand.

"Serena, the entire time Jack was living with you and your family, did you ever hit him?" Emerson asked.

"Yes." Serena quietly said while looking down.

"Could you please speak up and not look down?" Emerson said.

Serena raised her head and said, "Yes."

"Why did you hit him?"

"I hit him because he broke my cell phone."

"Did you actually witness Jack breaking your cell phone?" Emerson asked.

"No… No I did not. My mom just told me that he had broken it." Serena admitted.

"And you believed your mother?" Emerson asked.

"Yes."

"Did you ever witness your mother hitting Jack?" Emerson asked.

"Yes, the day I found out my phone was broken, she violently grabbed his arm and slapped him across the face."

"Did anyone else witness that attack?" Emerson asked.

"My brothers and my sister also witnessed it." Serena said.

"Thank you Serena. You may step down now. Your honor, I'd now like to call Aubrey Harlow to the stand."

Serena left the stand as Aubrey entered it. Aubrey looks a bit scared.

"Hi Aubrey. Are you okay?" Emerson asked the scared eight year old.

"I'm okay, just a little scared." Aubrey admitted.

"There's really nothing to be afraid of. We just want you to tell us the truth, okay?" Emerson said.

"Okay." Aubrey said.

"Aubrey, did you ever hit Jack?"

"No." Aubrey said.

"Were you ever mean to him?" Emerson asked.

"Well when I first met him, I told him that he wasn't allowed in my room. That was the only time I was mean to him." Aubrey truthfully said.

"Why didn't you ever try to help Jack when he was being abused?"

"I was afraid that if I had helped him, then mommy would do the same to me that she did to Jack."

"Has your mommy ever hit you before?" Emerson asked.

"No, but I just thought that since she started hitting Jack, then she might hit me too if I didn't behave well." Aubrey said.

"When your mommy was abusing Jack, was Jack behaving badly?" Emerson asked.

"No, he never was behaving badly. I think mommy just like to hit him." Aubrey said.

"Thank you Aubrey. You may step down now. Your honor, I would now like to speak to Patrick Harlow." Emerson said as Aubrey said down, and Patrick entered the stand in handcuffs.

"Patrick, did you ever hit Jack?" Emerson asked.

"No sir." Patrick said.

"Did you ever try to stop your mom from hitting Jack?" Emerson asked.

"No sir." Patrick said.

"Why didn't you ever try to stop her? I mean you could have easily over powered her."

"I don't know sir. I guess I just wasn't thinking straight at the time."

"How did you feel when you stabbed your own brother, Tristian?"

"I felt really horrible. I couldn't believe I had done it."

"What did your mother want you to do to Jack?" Emerson asked.

"She wanted me to kill him with the knife." Patrick said.

"But you couldn't do it, could you?" Emerson asked.

"No I could not." Patrick said.

"Why were you able to kill your own brother, but not Jack?" Emerson asked.

"Killing Tristian was an accident. I don't think I could purposely kill someone." Patrick said.

"So your mom was the one who stabbed Jack?" Emerson asked.

"That is correct." Patrick said.

"Thank you Patrick. You may step down now. You're honor, I would now like to call Brenda Harlow to the stand." Emerson said as Patrick stepped down and Brenda entered the stand in handcuffs.

"Miss Harlow, when did Jack become your foster son?" Emerson asked.

"I believe it was December of 2009." Brenda said.

"How did you treat Jack when he first arrived to your home?"

"I treated him as if he were one of my own. I loved him very much."

"So you're saying that you only hit because you loved him? You had no ill feelings towards him?" Emerson asked.

"Children need to be taught what's right and what isn't right. My parents hit me when I was a child, and I turned out fine." Brenda said.

"Did your parents ever stab you or lock you in a basement?" Emerson asked.

"No they did not." Brenda said.

"Did you ever hit any of your own children?" Emerson asked.

"No I never did." Brenda said.

"Then why did you single Jack out? Why was he the only target?" Emerson asked.

"Because he was the most troublesome child in the house. He needed to be punished." Brenda said.

"You first hit him when your son Lucas accused him for hitting him, is that right?"

"Yes that was the first time."

"Did you actually witness Jack hit Lucas?" Emerson asked.

"No I did not." Brenda said.

"So it's possible your son may have lied?" Emerson said.

"Yes it is possible Lucas may have lied about it." Brenda said.

"And yet, you chose to believe your son."

"Yes I did. Is that a crime?" Brenda asked coldly.

"I'll ask the questions here." Emerson said, ignoring Brenda's question. "How did you feel when your son Patrick killed your son Tristian?"

"There were no remorse feelings. I stopped loving Tristian when he decided to turn his back on his own family." Brenda said.

"Mrs. Harlow, keep in mind that your son only turned his back on you just to keep a five year old boy safe." Emerson said.

"He is no son of mine." Brenda said.

"Did you plan on abusing Jack or did the abuse just happen all of a sudden?"

"No it just happened. I never really planned any of it."

"Did you plan to kill him?" Emerson asked.

"That was sort of a last moment thing. I didn't want him telling what had happened to Tristian, so I just stabbed him." Brenda said.

"So you knew what you were doing?" Emerson asked.

"Yes I did." Brenda said.

"Thank you. You may step down now Mrs. Harlow. I have no further witnesses at this time, your honor." Emerson said.

"Counselor Taylor, you may call your first witness." Locklynn said.

"Your honor, I'd like to request an hour recess." Taylor said.

"We'll meet back here at 11:05 am. Don't be late." Locklynn said.

Hotch, Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, Garcia, Reid and JJ are all outside standing on the court steps talking. Jack is also with them. He is holding Hotch's hand.

"I wonder who Laura Taylor will call to the witness stand?" Prentiss said.

"I don't know. Probably the same people who Austin Emerson called to the stand." Rossi said.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Jack said as he tugged on Hotch sleeve.

"Hey Jack, you see that stand across the street from here? The one with the man behind it?" Morgan asked as he pointed across the street.

"Yeah I see it." Jack said.

"You know what he's selling?" Morgan asked.

"No what?" Jack asked.

"Cotton candy. How about you and I walk over there and get some? You like cotton candy, don't you?"

Jack eagerly looked up and Hotch and said, "Can I daddy, please?"

"Yeah sure, just try not to get to messy, okay?" Hotch said.

"Okay daddy." Jack said as he and Morgan left.

A few moments later, a man with brown hair and green eyes walks up to Hotch.

"Mr. Hotchner?" The man said as Hotch turned to look at him.

"Yes, can I help you with something?" Hotch asked.

"My name is Edward Harlow. I'm Brenda's ex husband. I just want to tell you how sorry I am for all your son had been put through during his time at Brenda's." The man said as he extended his hand for Hotch.

Hotch took Edward's hand and shook it. He then said, "It's nice to meet you and I accept your apology. I'm sorry for the loss of your son. I didn't know him to well, but knowing that he died while saving my son, makes me believe he was a good kid. I'll never forget him for that."

"Thank you. Tristian was a great kid. I love all my children, but Tristian was the one who stood out. He was always there when someone needed him. I don't think there was a day when he put himself above others. He loved helping others. I forgive Patrick for murdering him, but I'll never forgive Brenda for turning Patrick against Tristian. Patrick has already shown remorse for what he did, but Brenda acts like it's nothing. How can you forgive someone for turning your own children against each other?" Edward asked.

"I don't know, but I believe Brenda was a very sick and twisted woman." Hotch truthfully said.

"Mr. Hotchner, I hope you aren't making excuses for her. She shouldn't be excused for her crimes." Edward said.

"I know. I'm not making excuses." Hotch said.

11:05 quickly rolled around and everyone was back in the courtroom.

"All rise for Judge Locklynn." The guard said as everyone stood. Once Locklynn sat down, the guard then instructed everyone to sit down.

"Counselor Taylor, are you ready to call your first witness?" Locklynn asked.

"Yes your honor, I am. Your honor, I would like to call Aaron Hotchner to the stand." Laura Taylor said as Hotch entered the stand once again.

"Mr. Hotchner, do you love your son?" Taylor asked.

"Objection, your honor. I don't believe this has anything to do with the case." Emerson said.

"Sustained. Please proceed with the questioning, Counselor Taylor." Locklynn said.

"Thank you, your honor. Mr. Hotchner, when you placed your son into foster care, were you worried about him?"

"Yes I was worried about him."

"Then why didn't you just leave him out of foster care?" Taylor asked.

"He told me he'd be alright." Said Hotch.

"And you believed him? You are aware that your son is only five years old, right?" asked Taylor.

"Yes I believed him. And I am aware of the fact that he is five years old. Just because he's five, it doesn't mean he doesn't get a say in anything."

"Did Jack ever complain to you while you visited him?" Taylor asked.

"No he did not." Hotch replied.

"You didn't find out about the abuse until he had been stabbed, right?"

"Yes, that is when I found out."

"Thank you Mr. Hotchner. You may step down now. Your honor, I would now like to call Patrick Harlow to the stand." Taylor said as Hotch exited the stand and Patrick was brought up to the stand.

"Patrick, you've witnessed your mom hit Jack. Am I right?" Taylor asked.

"Yes." Patrick said.

"And you were afraid to stop her?"

"Yes I was." Patrick said.

"Could it be that you were afraid to stop her because out of fear she may do the same to you?"

"That could be the reason why, but I just wasn't thinking straight at the time." Patrick said.

"Did you realize that you had stabbed your own brother?"

"No and when I had realized it, it was too late. Tristian was already dead."

"You loved your brother, didn't you?" Taylor asked.

"Yes I did. I still do. Tristian was like a best friend to me. He was the greatest brother I could ever ask for. I'm just sorry I took his life away from him. And I'm sorry for all the hell Jack was put through. I'm sorry for everything. If I could go back in time to fix everything, I would, but that's something I can't do and I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life." Patrick said.

"Thank you Patrick. You may step down now. Your honor I would now like to call Brenda Harlow to the stand." Taylor said as Patrick was helped down from the stand and Brenda was brought to the stand.

"Miss Harlow, you've admitted that you've hit Jack. Am I right?"

"Yes you are right."

"Would you say they were violent hits?" Taylor asked.

"I don't think a slap to the face would be considered as child abuse." Brenda said.

"What was your childhood like?" Taylor asked.

"I didn't really have a happy childhood. I was abused by both my parents. My father was an alcoholic who abandoned my mother and I, when I was six years old. My mother was always gambling all the money away. There was this one time when she had left me home alone for three days, just to go gambling in a town, ten miles from where we lived. I was nine years old at the time and very frightened. My childhood may have been terrible, but in the end, I believe I turned out just fine." Brenda said.

"Do you think you may have abused Jack because of how your childhood was?" Taylor asked.

"Yes I do believe that." Brenda said.

"Thank you Miss Harlow. You may step down now. I have no further witnesses, your honor." Taylor said as Brenda Harlow was helped from the stand.

"Counselor Emerson, do you have any more witnesses?" Locklynn asked.

"Your honor, I just have one final witness. I would like to call Jack Hotchner to the stand." Emerson said.

Jack was soon brought into the courtroom and lead to the witness stand. He looked scared, but he was trying to be brave.

"Hello Jack. How are you doing today?" Emerson asked.

"I'm fine, thank you." Jack politely said.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Emerson asked.

"No I don't mind." Jack said.

"Thank you, Jack. Did you enjoy living with the Harlow family?" Emerson asked.

"I did at first because I got to play with Lucas and he's the same age as me. It was almost like having a brother, but then when Miss Harlow started to hit me, I didn't like living there much anymore." Jack said.

"Why had you agreed to live with them?" Emerson asked.

"Because my daddy catches the bad guys. And if I didn't live with the Harlow's my daddy would have to quit his job and all the good people would get hurt. I don't like when that happens. It's too scary." Jack said.

"It is scary. Can you tell me how many times Brenda Harlow hit you?" Emerson asked.

"No I don't know how many times. I'm sorry." Jack said.

"That's okay. How did you feel when she was hitting you?" Emerson asked.

"I felt sad and scared." Jack said.

"Why were you sad and scared?" Emerson asked.

"Because I thought I was going to die and I thought no one loved me anymore. I thought I had done something wrong, every time she hit me."

"But you didn't do anything wrong. Did you ever feel alone when you were living with the Harlow's?"

"No."

"And why is that?" Emerson asked.

"Because Tristian was there and he told me everything was going to be okay. But when he died, that's when I felt alone." Jack said.

"Jack, you are a very brave little boy and everyone is so proud of you. Thank you for your time." Emerson said.

"You're welcome." Jack said.

"You may step down now." Emerson said as Jack exited the stand.

"Your honor I have no further witnesses." Emerson said.

"Thank you. We will now take a two hour recess and the jury decides the verdict." Locklynn said.

The two hours quickly pass and everyone has returned to the courtroom to hear what the jury has decided.

"Juror number one, what is your decision." Locklynn asked.

A man stood up with a piece of paper and read it.

"Your honor, we the jury find both Brenda Harlow and Patrick Harlow, guilty."

A roar of applause could be heard from the side of the courtroom where the B.A.U. team was sitting.

"Settle down." Locklynn said as he hit the gavel onto his desk. After everyone had calmed down, he spoke again.

"Brenda Harlow, you will be sentenced to thirty years in prison for child abuse and attempted murder. And Patrick Harlow, you will be sent to juvenile detention until the day you turn eighteen. You will then be sent to prison for 25 years for murder." Locklynn said.

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><p><strong>End of chapter twenty six. I'm sorry for the extremely long wait. Please tell me what you thought. I believe I have at least one more chapter left. I'll have it up as soon as possible.<strong>


	27. Chapter 27 Just Think of Us

**Description: Jack recieves help from two people.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Brenda and Tristian. Nothing else belongs to me.**

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><p><strong>"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne<strong>

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><p><em>Jack once again found himself running through a large maize and being chased by Brenda Harlow, with a large knife. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, but Brenda was just merely inches behind him.<em>

_"Ha Ha, I'm going to get you!" Brenda evilly shouted._

_"Go away! Leave me alone!" Jack shouted._

_Jack then heard a voice speak to him. It was the voice of his mother, Haley. She was guiding him out of the maize and into safety._

_"Jack, it's going to be okay." Haley said._

_"But she's getting closer!" A frightened Jack said._

_"Don't worry. I'll hold her off." Came another voice. This voice belonged to Tristian._

_Just then, Jack saw a bright light just up ahead from him._

_"Mommy, there's a light. What should I do?" Jack asked._

_"Run towards it, Jack and you'll be safe. The light cannot hurt you." Haley said._

_"Will you stay with me?" Jack asked._

_"I'll be right beside you."_

_"You promise?"_

_"I promise."_

_Jack then saw Brenda fall to the ground. She was struggling to get up, but Tristian was holding her down._

_"Get off me! You ungrateful bastard!" Brenda angrily shouted._

_"Go Jack! Run! I don't know how much longer I can hold her!" Tristian shouted._

_Jack began to run towards the light, and as she had promised, Haley was right beside him. He wanted to look back, but was afraid if he did, then Brenda would get him. Within no time, he had reached the light and was safely standing outside the maize._

_"Mommy, I made it! I'm out now!" Jack gleefully shouted as he hugged Haley._

_"You sure did, sweetie." Haley said with a smile._

_"What about Tristian? Is he going to be okay?" Jack asked worried._

_"I'm sure he'll be fine." Haley said, reassuring her son._

_A few moments later, Tristian calmly and casually steps out of the maize. He is brushing dirt off his shirt and pants._

_"That woman sure does put up one hell of a fight. Oh sorry, Jack. I forgot you were here. I need to watch my language." Tristian said._

_Jack rushed over to Tristian and wrapped his little arms around his waist. _

_"You made it out of the maize too!" Jack gleefully shouted._

_"Yep I sure did." Tristian said with a smile._

_Haley and Tristian then turned to the maize and each waved a hand across it. They then looked at each other with looks of triumphs on their faces._

_"There. She won't be getting out of there." Tristian said._

_"Why can't she get out?" Jack asked._

_"Tristian and I placed a force field around the entire maize." Haley said._

_"What's a force field?" Jack asked, clearly confused._

_"It's an invisible shield that surrounds the entire area. Nobody goes in and nobody goes out."Haley said._

_"That means she'll be in there forever. And she'll never bother you in your dreams again." Tristian said._

_"I like the sound of that."Jack said with a smile._

_A loud sound came out of nowhere. What he saw next, frightening Jack. Brenda was standing right in front of him, pounding her fists on the invisible force field. She appeared to be even angrier than before._

_"Mommy!" Jack shouted as he rushed over to Haley and hid behind her._

_"It's okay sweetie. She can't get out." Haley said as she comforted her son._

_Tristian then walked over to where his mother was and began to shout at her._

_"Go away, hag! You're not getting out! So you might as well give up!"_

_"I'm your mother! How could you do this to me?!"_

_"You stopped being my mother, the second you murdered me!" Tristian shouted._

_"Patrick's the one who murdered you! It wasn't me! Please let me out!" Brenda begged._

_"No! You drove him to murder me! He would have never done that, if you hadn't of forced him too!" _

_"Please Tristian! Please let me out of here!"_

_"Sorry, not going to happen." Tristian said._

_"I'll find a way out of here! You just watch! I will!" Brenda said she began to run throughout the maize._

_"Don't tire yourself out! We wouldn't want that to happen!" Tristian shouted sarcastically._

_Both Tristian and Haley turned to Jack and smiled. He smiled back at them._

_"Well, Jack. I guess this is it." Tristian said._

_"You're leaving me?" Jack asked, sadly._

_"We have to sweetie, but if you ever need us, just think of us and we'll be there." Haley said._

_"Yeah, we'll be there in a flash." Tristian said._

_"You promise?" Jack asked._

_"We promise." Haley and Tristian said in unison_

_"Okay." Jack said as he smiled._

_Haley and Tristian then vanished, but a few moments later, they returned._

_"You missed us, already?" Tristian asked with a smile._

_"I was just seeing if it would really work and yeah I was missing you."_

Jack then woke up and happily ran out of his room. It was only 5:30, Saturday morning, but Jack was too excited to go back to sleep. He rushed into another room and jumped on a bed, where his sleeping father, lay.

"Daddy, wake up!"

Hotch quickly sat up and was now fully awake.

"Something wrong, buddy?" He asked, worried.

"You remember that nightmare I had once? The one where I was being chased by Miss Harlow." Jack said.

"Yeah I remember? Why, did you have it again?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah, but I finally got away and guess who helped me!"

"Who?" Hotch asked.

"Mommy and Tristian helped me! And guess what else! Miss Harlow will never bother me in my dreams again! You know why?"

"Why?" Hotch asked.

"Because mommy and Tristian put a force field around the maize. Miss Harlow will be trapped in there forever!" Jack excitedly said.

"That's great buddy!" Hotch said as he smiled at his son. He then looked at the clock and noticed it said 5:35 am.

"Well since we're both up. How about we go get some breakfast? Anything you'd like to eat?"

Jack thought for a few moments before answering.

"Can we have chocolate chip waffles with marshmallows and chocolate sauce?"

"Sure buddy, let's go." Hotch said as he carried his son out of the room and into the kitchen.

About forty minutes later, as the sun is finally starting to rise, Jack and Hotch are sitting at their kitchen table, eating waffles. Hotch has already started on his third waffle and Jack is just now finishing his first one.

"Daddy, can I have another one, please?" Jack asked.

"Sure buddy." Hotch said as he placed a waffle onto his son's plate.

"Thank you." Jack said.

"You're welcome." Hotch said.

The next few moments were silent. The sounds that could be heard were the birds chirping outside and the sound of the radio playing on the counter.

"When do you go back to work, daddy?" Jack asked.

"Monday, why? Have you changed your mind about me going back? Because if you have, then I won't go back." Hotch said.

"No, I still want you to go back. Aunt Jessica's still going to take care of me, right?" Jack asked a bit worried.

"She said she would." Hotch said.

"Okay, good."

"You want to go to the park, later today? I hear the weather's supposed to be nice." Hotch said.

"Can we?!" an excited Jack asked.

"Sure, buddy. We'll go after lunch, okay?"

"Okay, can we get ice cream too?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, we'll definitely need to get ice cream." Hotch said with a smile.

A few hours later, Jack and Hotch are sitting on a park bench at the park, enjoying ice cream cones. Hotch is eating mint chocolate chip and Jack is eating chocolate chip cookie dough. They watch as the other children have fun, playing on the playground equipment. Jack then turned and smiled. In the distance, standing next to a tree, were Haley and Tristian. They were both smiling and waving at him. Jack could now say that he was finally happy with how his life was now. He had his father, and everyone else who mattered to him, in his life. And he also had his mother and Tristian whenever he needed them. He no longer felt isolated as he had at the Harlow residence.

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><p><strong>Well, that's the end of the story. I know the story wasn't that great, but I'd like to thank you all for taking your time to read it and review for it. I really appreciate that. Please tell me what you thought. Thank you.<strong>


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